Hicca of Berk
by Kathryn Mills
Summary: Requested story, the TV series of How to Train Your Dragon, but with Fem!Hiccup and a few other Genderbent characters. Full disclaimer and description inside :) With the dragons and Vikings united, things seem to changing for the better. But new enemies are threatening Berk, and many new dragons need training, as well as new riders.
1. How to Start a Dragon Academy

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

 **As some of you are aware, I had to take this story down for a little while because apparently I was in breach of Copyright :( So, straight off the bat, I want to make this clear that all rights to the characters, setting and storyline belong to DreamWorks. I own nothing. Zip, Nadda, Naught, Diddly squat... Nothing.**

 **I'm going to put a similar notice at the beginning of each chapter just to make it clear for everyone, I don't want to have to take this story down again.**

 **Thank you :)**

 **Anyway...**

 **This is the How to Train your Dragon TV series, Riders and Defenders of Berk, with Fem!Hiccup :)**

 **There will be some other genderbent characters in this, so I will let you know when we get to them :) Some of the scenes and dialogue will change to accommodate the gender swapped characters, but aside from that, the storylines will mostly be the same :)**

 **Hope you all enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 01**

 **How to Start a Dragon Academy**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _This is Berk. For generations, it was Viking against dragon. The battles were ferocious. Then one day, everything changed. I met Toothless, and together, we've shown people here that instead of fighting dragons, we can ride them, live with them... even train them._

In the sky above berk, a midnight dragon swooped and dived amongst the fluffy white clouds.

It had been a month since the defeat of the Red Death, and now Hicca was able to fly Toothless in the open, free as a bird alongside the other teens her age. Hicca was still getting used to her prosthetic, it was often uncomfortable, and she experienced phantom pains now and again. But on the back of Toothless, with her long hair tied back and the wind whipping passed her face, she didn't even notice.

Her metal foot slotted into the peddle at Toothless's side, allowing her to control his new, red, artificial tail fin. They both had missing limbs now, but in a way, it made them closer.

But it wasn't just the two of them sailing through the sky nowadays, the other teens on Berk also had their own dragons, and Hicca and Toothless were on their way to meet them now.

The south side of Berk was dotted with tall sea stacks, some on the verge of crumbling, but most standing firm. At the very top of one of the tallest stacks, four other dragons and their five riders were waiting for Hicca and Toothless.

Toothless glided gently onto the rock column, landing next to Stormfly with Arvid riding on her back.

"Alright guys," Hicca announced, drawing the other teens attention. "Best trick competition, whose up first?"

Fishlegs was about to respond, when Snotlout stood up on Hookfangs neck, effectively blocking the larger blond from Hicca's line of sight. "Uh, me!" He stated proudly.

"Um, actually," Fishlegs spoke up nervously. "I think it's-"

"Me!" Snotlout stated again more firmly, clearly he was either trying to prove his dominance, or he was looking for a challenge.

Either way, he was already beginning to annoy Arvid. "Sweet baby Thor in a thunderstorm. Go!" He ordered.

No matter how many times Snotlout tried to assert himself, Arvid always came out on top. But Snotlout didn't back down completely, "Oh don't worry, we'll go. And when we go, Hookfang and I are going to light the sky on fir-AHHHHH!"

Whatever smug remark Snotlout had been planning, was soon drowned out by his screams as Hookfang took off, only to dive downwards parallel to the sea stack.

The Monstrous Nightmare with the teenage screaming Viking on his back, swooped up, over and around the sea stacks, almost like he was showing off how agile he was, and at the same time giving Snotlout the ride of his life. Hookfang weaved in and out of the rock columns barely dodging them, at one point, he flew so close, that the horns on Snotlout's helmet ground against the rock face, sparks flying in their wake.

Hookfang gave an evil grin, he swooped into the sky and then plunged into the water. It was actually rather interesting that Monstrous Nightmares, although able to light themselves on fire, actually really enjoyed swimming. Maybe it helped them cool off. Finally Hookfang shoot out of the water and landed back on the sea stack, exactly where he had been before between Stormfly and Meatlug.

Snotlout's knuckles had turned white from how tightly he had been gripping Hookfangs horns, but once they landed, he quick checked himself over for injuries. "I'm alive? I'm alive!" He cheered in relief. But as soon as he noticed Hicca and Arvid looking at him, he quickly went back to his arrogant persona, "Of course I am."

"My turn," Fishlegs piped up excitedly. Among all of the other teens, including Hicca, Fishlegs was the most excitable when it came to dragons. Especially when it came to his Gronckle, Meatlug, which they only found out recently, was actually female. But if anything, it just made him love her more. He was still nervous about flying sometimes, but he was more than happy to give Meatlug a chance to shine.

"Ready girl? Here we go!" He asked his dragon. Meatlug seemed to nod, and she took off, her wing beats buzzing. But compared to Hookfangs neck-breaking speed and hair-raising tricks. Meatlug went at her own pace, buzzing in a small circle around the other riders before coming back to land.

Despite her performance being the exact opposite of Hookfang's, Fishlegs' response was still very positive. "Yes! New personal best," he leaned down to hug his dragon, allowing Meatlug to lick his face lovingly.

But of course, this loving scene was soon interrupted by arguing. Namely, from Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"My turn!" the female twin piped up.

"No, my turn," her brother argued back.

Thankfully, Hicca broke their argument up quickly, "Guys, same dragon." It was surprising how often the Thorston twins forgot this.

"Oh, right," Tuffnut responded. He and his sister bumped their fists together, and then took off on their Hideous Zippleback.

Surprisingly, they did well at first. Swooping down the side of the column, and then straightening out in a smooth arch. Unfortunately, that was when things took a turn.

Tuffnut directed Belch's head to the left, "Go left!"

But Ruffnut ordered Barf's head right, "No, right!"

"No, no, right!"

"No, no, left!"

The Zipplebacks necks tangled around each other, then snapped back, slamming the twins against each other. The tangled necks caused the dragon to start spinning, whirling the two teens along with them. Fortunately Barf and Belch were more used to this, and were able to straighten themselves out, then they both flicked their heads up, and sent their two riders flying into the sky.

The twins yelled and screamed as they arced in the air and then came falling down. "Oh no! Whoa! This is awesome and scary! Ahhhh!" Tuffnut screamed, not really knowing what to feel.

But just as the ocean was starting to get a little too close for comfort, something caught Tuffnut and Ruffnut by the back of their jackets. The two looked up in surprise and relief to see that their dragons had caught them. They were flung into the air once more, and landed back onto their dragon's necks. Then the Zippleback flew back towards the sea stack, landing a little less than gracefully.

He twins collapsed on their dragon's heads, panting heavily from the adrenaline rush.

"We almost died..." Ruffnut said weakly.

"... Yeah... I know..." Tuffnut panted.

But just as it looked like the twins were on the verge of passing out, they both shot up into a sitting position, huge grins on both of their faces.

"Go again?" Tuffnut asked hopefully.

"Hey! It's my turn." Arvid called out, then he turned to Hicca with a confident look. His shoulder length blond hair whipping round to cover his left eye, "You might want to take notes. Let's go!"

Hicca watched with a smile as Arvid directed Stormfly expertly.

"Okay Stormfly, tail flip!" At his command, the blue Nadder ran her spiked tail along the surface of the water, leaving a splash trail in their wake. "Now twirl!" Arvid held on tight as Stormfly tumbled to the side spinning like an arrow through the air, then she levelled out and zigzagged between the rocky pillars.

"Quick, upwards spiral!" They started spinning again, this time flying straight up. Once they reached the peak of their spin, Stormfly levelled out and held her position, as if she'd just finished a dance in the sky. Arvid cheered from his place on her back, "Alright Stormfly!"

As he landed gracefully, Arvid heard Fishlegs and the twins give small cheers, while Snotlout just scowled. "Yeah... but can you do it without the dragon?" He jeered at Arvid, unsurprisingly receiving a punch to his upper arm, "Ow!" Thankfully, Snotlout thought it best to stay quiet after that, while Arvid turned to his somewhat girlfriend, giving her a small smile.

"Well... looks like we've got our work cut out for us there bud," Hicca leaned forward and patted Toothless on the head, silently telling him she was ready. Toothless took off suddenly, but it surprised the other riders when he started flying upwards, only to come shooting down parallel to the sea stack they had been perched on.

Hicca leaned in close to Toothless and prepared herself as the water drew closer. She suddenly tugged on his reigns, pulling them up just at the last moment to fly with Toothless's belly skimming the water. They swooped over and around, in and out of the rock formation at startling speed, much like they had done with the clouds earlier. Needless to say, compared to the others, Hicca and Toothless were well practiced. Then it came time to show their latest perfected trick.

Hicca steadied Toothless's tail so that he was flying right at a bridge between two sea stacks. Just as it looked like Hicca was about to get hit by the rocky bridge, she jumped off of Toothless back. The Night Furry sailed under the bridge, while Hicca took off into a run over the top, her prosthetic not slowing her down in the slightest. Once she reached the other side, she confidently jumped down and landed back onto Toothless's waiting saddle.

They took of high into the sky again, both of them cheering to themselves, that stunt couldn't have gone more perfectly.

Back on the sea stack, the other riders and their dragons were also thoroughly impressed, even Snotlout was cheering his cousin on. Arvid watched Hicca as she flew with grace and skill, he smiled fondly to himself.

As Toothless grew closer to the starting rock column, he let out a series of Plasma blasts. They exploded in front of the riders like fireworks, creating a ripple of purple fumes in the sky. "They're still the best," Arvid said to himself.

Toothless flew through the last remaining fumes, while Hicca smiled down at him, "Another win. Good job bud."

Since it was obvious who'd won, Toothless and Hicca started their flight back to Berk.

 _Yep, dragons... Most people on Berk would say life here is better since we made peace with them. Unfortunately, dragons are still... well... dragons._

/LINE BREAK/

Toothless landed at the edge of the village and allowed Hicca to dismount, but the scene in the plaza, was one of chaos, yelling and screaming. The dragons had certainly made their home here, which included eating every bit of food they saw. As Hicca and Toothless walked through the village, a couple of yaks ran passed while being chased by a Gronckle, and one of the Viking women was being terrorized by a Terrible Terror.

Just as she threatened the first Terror with her spoon, another swooped in and took the utensil from her. To Hicca's left, another villager was yelling at a Deadly Nadder that had decided to take a nap on his roof. In front of her, a Monstrous Nightmare was playing tug-of-war with someone's sack of apples, eventually spilling the contents all over the ground. And to her right, another woman had her washing line, and all the items hanging on it, stolen by a purple Nadder.

Hicca was so distracted by the trouble around her, she almost bumped into someone. Then again, it was also his fault, he was walking backwards and not paying attention to where he was going, instead he was looking up worriedly at the... sky... oh no.

"Dragon poo!"

The other Vikings around her stated fleeing in terror, as a wave of dragons loomed over head. It was that time of day already. At almost the exact same time, the dragons flying over head all started... evacuating their waste... all over the village.

Hicca back peddled, not wanting to get hit by any of... that. "Eww! Gross, gross, gross! Oh, that's disgusting."

Thankfully, Hicca found shelter with Bucket and Mulch, the two men were holding their shields over their heads like wooden umbrellas. This happened every day at three o'clock, and the two older men were prepared for it.

Hicca watched as more problems unfolded, wincing as she thought about what her father was going to say about this.

 _Most of us here on Berk are willing to take the good with the bad, but there are those who will never accept the dragons, and will do anything to drive them away._

/LINE BREAK/

At the top of the hill, hidden behind the large mountain that jutted out from the side of the village, Mildew's house was nestled against the rock wall. Mildew hated the dragons. Actually... he seemed to hate everything apart from his beloved sheep, Fungus. He was glad his house was so far away from the village, and the commotion of the dragons during the day. But that night, he was awoken by the thunderous noise on his roof.

Mildew awoke to see the weaponry above him swinging dangerously, the noise that had awoken him sounded like a storm raging outside. Either that, or his roof was creaking and groaning under the weight of something large, and most likely... scaly.

The old Viking grumbled as he stomped out of his house, glaring up at the Gronckle that was now sleeping on his roof.

"Dragons..." He grumbled, "I should have known. Helps himself to my roof, and my cabbage... " Mildew picked up the remains of a half eaten head of cabbage, looking at it with disgust. But as he turned, he saw the rest of his field. There were massacred cabbages everywhere, their remains littering the field. Mildew stared in disbelief, "My whole field! Gone!"

Mildew growled in anger, "That dose it Fungus." He stormed back inside his house, put on his helmet, picked up his staff and sheep, and started marching towards the village. It would take him a while to get to the village, but he didn't care, something had to be done about these dragons.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning, Stoick was giving out orders to the other villagers at the food storage. Some of the fishing boats had just come in with a new load, so they needed to make room. Unfortunately, that was when Mildew decided to show up.

"Stoick!" He called out, still annoyed about last night.

Gobber gave a sigh and turned to Stoick, "Ah, here's Mildew with his complaint of the day."

Stoick stood tall and turned to the grumpy old man, he really didn't like dealing with Mildew, and his complaint was always the same. "You picked a bad time Mildew. I'm in the middle of storing food. The freeze is coming."

But as he turned to get back to work, Mildew called out to him regardless. "It's those dragons again. Those demons are not fit to live among civilised men."

Hicca had stopped by to see her father, but she stopped when she heard Mildews words. Thankfully, Gobber had a snarky reply ready, "Neither are you Mildew, why do you think we build your house so far outside of town?"

Mildew glared back at him. "Oh very well, make your jokes. Meanwhile these dragons are turning the village upside down! And turning people's houses into piles of rubble! They even disturb an old man's rest!"

Hicca watched worriedly as Mildews loud words drew in a crowd, it was clear he wasn't the only one who was aggravated over the dragons. They were even crying out in agreement to Mildews words.

"These are wild and unpredictable bests! You need to put those dragons in cages!" Mildew spat his words in Stoicks face. For a moment, Hicca though her father was going to punch the older man. But Mildew continued, "If you don't, they'll eat us out of house and home, and destroy the entire village!"

The crowd cheered again in agreement. But before Stoick could try and calm them, Hicca stepped forward instead.

"They don't mean any harm, they're just dragon being dragons," Hicca didn't yell over the crowd, her much softer words seemed to calm the people down, at least a little.

Stoick placed a hand on his daughters shoulder and stepped forward. "Look Mildew, if there's a problem, I'll deal with it," he said firmly.

Mildew pulled himself up to look Stoick in the eye, "Oh there's a problem Stoick, and I think I speak for everyone when I say, you'd better do something about it."

With that, Mildew trudged through the crowd and left, leaving Stoick to deal with the angry mob that he'd created. The villagers roared in anger, challenging Stoick and jeering at him, all of them wanting to know what he was going to do about the dragon infestation.

But for once, Stoick didn't have an answer.

/LINE BREAK/

That night, Stoick paced in front of the fire pit, stress and worry showing clearly on his face. Gobber sat nearby witling away at a block of wood, making what appeared to be a small wooden duck. He was there to give advice, but instead of giving helpful suggestions, he was poking holes in Stoicks ideas instead. He spent a lot of time at the Haddock household, maybe he got lonely sometimes, Hicca mused to herself. The young girl sat a little distance away, listening to the two and stroking Toothless's head, she heard her father give another heavy sigh.

"We can't just let dragons run wild like they own the place," He said, trying to think of something. "Hey, we could put up signs."

"Signs? For dragon?" Gobber asked with a slight smile.

Stoick shook his head, "No, for the people."

"Signs? For Vikings?" Gobber asked again with a slightly bigger smile. "We're not big readers Stoick."

Stoick gave an annoyed sigh, "Then we'll build a huge net and stretch it around the plaza."

"Nets? You do know they breathe fire?"

"I know very well they breathe fire, Gobber." It was clear that Stoick was starting to get frustrated. "Maybe Mildew was right, maybe we have to-"

Hicca knew what he was about to say, so she quickly spoke up, "Uh, Dad wait. What if I deal with the dragons?"

Gobber and Stoick both looked at her in question. "You?" Her father asked.

"Who else? If anyone can control them, I can. I'm the best woman for the job," Hicca spoke confidently as Toothless wrapped around her, in a small way proving her point. She was the first to train dragons, so maybe she could train them all.

A strange look grew on Stoick's face, "You're not a woman yet Hicca."

Gobber gave a chuckle from behind him, "Not yet. But once she's old enough, there'll be a line of suitors outside the house," Gobber only really said that just to see the looks on the father and daughters faces. Making them squirm was fun.

Hicca shook her head at the thought and turned back to her father, "Dad, just give me a chance."

Stoick and Gobber shared a look. Then Stoick decided, "Fair enough. You'll have your chance, starting tomorrow."

He gave Hicca a look, and Hicca smiled back, silently promising not to let her father down.

/LINE BREAK/

But the next day, it seemed as though the dragons had made it their mission to make Hicca's work difficult.

As Hicca only just managed to calm down a Deadly Nadder, a blue Gronckle chased a group of chickens right into the Nadders line of sight, awakening it from its calm trance. The rest of the day followed a similar path. As soon as Hicca put out one fire, two more burst forth, literally.

Dragons were playing with each other, fighting each other, setting things on fire, knocking stuff over, stealing food, scaring livestock. It seemed endless. Toothless was there to help break up the dragon fights, but even with his help, Hicca was overwhelmed.

Unbeknownst to her, the other teens were watching from one of the old catapults.

"What's she doing?" Snotlout asked, watching Hicca as she ran around after the dragons and terrified sheep.

"Uh... I think she's helping the dragons break stuff," Tuffnut suggested

"Cool," his sister responded. The twins loved nothing more than destruction, especially where they weren't the ones getting in trouble for it.

"Wow, she could really use our help," Arvid said worriedly. He had offered, but Hicca had wanted to do this herself, so he wasn't interfering.

"We'll get to it."

"In a minute."

The twins didn't plan on helping, they were just enjoying the show, the best part was about to start. As a swarm of dragons flew over the village, it became clear that it was three o'clock, and that meant only one thing.

Hicca didn't have time to run for cover.

/LINE BREAK/

That night Hicca sat on her bed, wincing at all the aches and pains in her body. She had known things wouldn't have been easy, but she never could have guess they'd get this out of hand.

"OW, everything hurts," She told Toothless tiredly. "Even this," she added, picking up her metal leg from the floor. The Night Fury was resting beside her, the day had worn him out as well, but it wasn't as bad for him as it was for Hicca.

"Hicca?" She heard Arvid call from the bottom floor of the house.

"Arvid? Perfect," Hicca groaned as she quickly reattached her leg and stood from the bed, brushing down her clothes and adjusting her ponytail, trying to make herself presentable. "I don't look too beat up, do I?" She asked her dragon.

Toothless gave a warble and tilted his head to the side, giving her an unsure look.

"Oh great, dragon pity."

Just then Arvid appeared at the entrance to her room, his clothes immaculate compared to hers. While her green tunic, fur jacket and brown legging were spotted with mud and scorch marks, Arvid's blue tunic and brown legging were spotless. His shoulder guard were polished and shiny, and from the left side of his belt, not a single one of the studded leather pleats was out of place.

"Oh hey, Arvid. What a nice surprise," Hicca said trying to sound cheerful.

"So, how was your day?" He asked as he folded his arms over his chest, and gave her a knowing look.

Hicca avoided eye contact, "Oh, uneventful. Just, hung around the plaza, you know."

Arvid raised an eyebrow and looked down at Hicca with a slight smile, "Yeah, I do know. We saw you out there, hard to believe your still standing."

Hicca let her guard down and collapsed backwards onto the bed, letting out a huge groan as she did so, "I'll be seeing flaming sheep in my dreams for the next month."

Just as Hicca was starting to relax, he fathers yell sounded from downstairs.

"Hicca!" Said girl jumped back up onto her feet, just as her father appeared at her doorway. "Hicca, what's going on out there!? The plaza looks like a war zone!"

Hicca held up her hands in defence as her father towered over her and Arvid, "Dad, I know it looks bad."

"Really bad," Arvid corrected.

Hicca racked her brain to come up with something to say, "Uh... But this is only... Phase 1 of my master plan."

Stoick seemed to calm a little at this, at least he wasn't yelling anymore. "Oh? So you do have a plan?"

"I do... Of course, I do," Hicca lied through her teeth. "It's very complex, lots of drawings, several moving parts. Yeah, it's... pretty wild."

Stoick gave an unsure look, but he seemed to buy it. "Uh huh... Well this better be real, because Mildew stirred up the whole island. If we don't get the dragons under control, they'll be calling for their heads." Stoick was just about to leave Hicca's room, when he suddenly turned once more. But this time, he was looking at Arvid. "And you, no funny business with my daughter."

Hicca blushed while Arvid and Stoick exchanged a serious look, then the blond boy nodded politely, "Yes sir."

Stoick gave a nod and left down the stairs.

Toothless turned to Hicca and gave a worried warble, she stroked his head to calm him, "Don't worry bud, your head's not going anywhere."

"You do realise, there's about a million dragons out there, and only one of you. I hope you really do have a plan," Arvid asked her worriedly as he brushed his hair out of his eye.

Hicca thought for a moment. Maybe she did have one.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, Hicca called a meeting of the dragon riders at the old killing ring. Now referred to as just, the Arena. There, Hicca told the others her plan.

"That's your plan? Train dragons?" Ruffnut asked.

Her brother joined in, "Here? Where we used to kill them?"

They both had a point, there were definitely some flaws in Hicca's plan.

"Right, but we don't do that anymore," Hicca said as she set down a basket next to Toothless. "That's why this place is available."

She was right, the only time they used the arena now was to store food and water sometimes. But the dragons still hated the arena. All of them aside from Toothless were shaking where they stood, clearly they still had bad memories of this place.

"Actually, the dragons do seem a little nervous," Arvid noted as he stroked Stormfly's beak.

Fishlegs nodded in agreement as he hugged Meatlug, "That's because they're very sensitive. Meatlug especially, she lost a cousin here. We try not to talk about it," he added in a hushed tone.

Hicca nodded in understanding. But still, it was a small space where they could practice and not damage anything or anyone.

Arvid understood this, and tried to change the subject. "It's amazing your dad just gave us the arena."

But Hicca suddenly looked a little nervous, "Well, it would be... If he did, yeah... but he didn't, so it's another thing we should try not to talk about."

"Wait, so we're going behind your father's back?" Arvid didn't like the sound of that. Stoick was already wary of him because he was technically dating Hicca, even if the two of them never really mentioned it out loud, so he didn't feel comfortable doing things behind the chiefs back.

But Hicca didn't really give him an answer. "There you go, talking about it... Uh... Alright everybody, here's the thing," Hicca started as she addressed everyone. "The dragons are out of control. We want them to live in our world without destroying it, but they can't without our help. They've been blowing things up in the village, we've got to do something about that."

Unfortunately, the twins misunderstood. "Got it, help the dragons blow things up. We can totally do that."

"No, I believe I said..." Hicca tried to interject.

But Ruffnut continued scheming with her brother, "Here's how we're gonna do it. First, we make them really, really angry."

"No problem, we anger everybody."

"You guys this is serious," Hicca raised her voice slightly. "Mildew wants all of our dragons caged, and I don't know about you, but that's not okay with me."

Thankfully, the twins seemed to understand. "You're right, she's sorry," Tuffnut said with a slight apologetic look, receiving a glare from his sister.

"Alright then, next problem..." Hicca walked over to the basket and opened it, she reached inside and pulled out a long loaf of bread. "The dragons are eating everything in sight."

Toothless perked up at the sight of food, and when Hicca waved the loaf in front of him, he instantly jumped forward and grabbed it in his mouth. "Now, when a dragon grabs something it's not supposed to have, you can get him to drop it, just by giving him a little scratch under the chin."

Hicca demonstrated on Toothless, and sure enough, she was able to take back the loaf of bread with no trouble at all. It was a little trick she'd learnt one of the many times Toothless had tried to steal her dinner.

But Snotlout didn't want to listen to his cousin, "Maybe that works for you and Toothless, but Hookfang and me, do things a little different."

With that, he snatched the loaf from Hicca and hurled it at Hookfang, the Nightmare easily catching it in his mouth. Then Snotlout strode over to him confidently, "When I want this big boy to do something, I just get right in his face and... Drop that right now! You hear me!" He suddenly yelled at his dragon, making Hookfang jump a little in surprise.

But Hookfang soon got over his surprise. He spat out the bread and nabbed Snotlout in his jaws, gripping his rider's head and torso in his mouth and shaking him slightly, leaving just Snotlout's legs and arms hanging out. He wouldn't bite down or harm his rider, he was just going to hold him there, until he felt the human had learnt his lesson.

"See? He dropped it," Snotlout's slightly nervous and muffled voice sounded from inside the dragon's mouth.

Tuffnut gave a chuckle as he and the other riders watched, "Should we help him?"

"Yeah, in a minute," Arvid said with a smirk.

Hicca just gave a sigh and turned to the others, "Alright, we've got a lot of training to do. But together, we can keep these dragons under control."

The others shared a look and followed Hicca's lead, leaving Snotlout still hanging from his dragon's mouth. "Um... can someone do that chin scratchy thing?... Hello?... You guys still there?"

/LINE BREAK/

Eventually, Hicca made Hookfang spit her cousin out. Then the teens made their way back to the village, ready to put their lessons into practice.

But strangely enough, as the six of them walked through town, they didn't see a single dragon.

"Huh... no dragons," Fishlegs stated.

Ruffnut gave a small chuckle, "That was easy."

"Lunch?" Snotlout suggested.

Hicca looked around the village, she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. "That's strange... If the dragons aren't here, where are they?"

As if in answer to her question, a sudden loud explosion and a scream came from their right, and a large fiery plume of smoke rose into the air.

"Something tells me, that way," Arvid answered.

At the food storage building, the villagers were running around in panic as the dragons tore the building apart. The teens ran towards the sounds of yelling and screaming, but they were too late. They did however arrive just in time to see Stormfly and Hookfang joining in on the feast, leaving Arvid and Snotlout to stare at their dragons with sad disappointment.

Hicca looked around worriedly, then she rushed into the still smouldering building. He father had been here all day making sure the new boat loads of fish were properly stored, but Hicca had grown worried when she hadn't seen him anywhere outside.

She was relieved to see her father was alright inside the remains of the building, but it became obvious that Stoick wasn't happy as he threw a piece of rubble aside. "They've eaten everything, we've got nothing left for the freeze!"

Of course, Mildew just had to show up then of all times. "I warned you Stoick. But did you listen to me? No! You put a bunch of teenagers in charge, now look what the dragons have done." Mildew glared at Hicca and the other riders as he spoke, Fishlegs and the twins looking worried, while Snotlout and Arvid glared back at him. The old man turned back to Stoick, "Caging is too good for those beasts."

"Dad, I swear I can fix this. W-We were just starting to-" Hicca tried to explain, but Stoick cut her off.

"Enough, Hicca. How can I trust you to control all the dragons, when you couldn't even control your own?" At first, Hicca didn't understand what her father meant, but Stoick just gestured to his left.

Sure enough, Hicca turned to see Toothless with his head in a fish basket, chomping down on the very last morsel from the bottom of the barrel.

"Oh, Toothless..." Hicca said quietly as she was filled with nothing but dread.

Stoick turned and stormed back inside the burnt building, picking up as many fish baskets as he could. "Bucket, Mulch, man the boats. We need another catch."

He threw the baskets over to the two men, but Mulch just gave him a troubled look. "It's too late Stoick, it took us 6 months just to catch that last haul."

"Don't tell me it's too late! We've got to try," Stoick ordered them. Mulch nodded nervously, he and Bucked did as they were told and followed the chief out of the former storage building.

Hicca trudged after her father, trying to reassure him. "Dad please, you've got to listen to me. I know dragons better than-"

"Not now Hicca. I have a village to feed, and the dragons have done enough damage." Stoick loaded the baskets onto a wheelbarrow, he turned back to his daughter with a stern look. "By tonight, I want every one of them caged. Understand?"

Hicca was shocked silent, giving Mildew enough time to worm his way into the conversation again. "You can't just cage these dragons," he scoffed. "You need to send them away, now!"

Once again, Mildew's words stirred hatred in the other villagers. They all started yelling and jeering in agreement, they wanted the dragons gone.

And unfortunately, Stoick also agreed.

"You're right Mildew. We'll cage them tonight, and in the morning... Hicca will send them off the island." Stoick looked at his daughter, his heart almost breaking when he saw her wide and sorrowful emerald eye, her arm around Toothless protectively. "I'm sorry, Hicca."

With that, Stoick turned away.

/LINE BREAK/

At the great hall that afternoon, the teens all sat together, a cloud of despair hanging over them.

"I can't believe we have to send them away," Snotlout said, breaking the silence.

"It's going to be weird," Arvid spoke up quietly, absentmindedly stirring at his broth. "I'd gotten used to Stormfly's face being the first thing I see every morning."

"Every night before I went to sleep, Meatlug would lick my feet... Who's going to do that now!?" Fishlegs collapsed onto the table in despair.

"I volunteer Tuffnut," Ruffnut piped up, trying to make a joke to cheer up her brother.

But Tuffnut was too miserable, he honestly didn't care. "Whatever... What time should I be there?"

Arvid gave a sigh, he stood from the table and abandoned his food, "Come on guys. Let's get this over with."

One by one the teens filed out of the hall in sombre silence, until it was just Hicca and Toothless left at the table. She wanted to do something, there had to be some way of stopping her father and saving the dragons. But what?

"Oh Toothless, I'm going to miss you so much," Mildew's sickly tone sounded. Hicca gave him a small glare and Toothless gave a low growl, but the old man pretended not to notice. "You know what you're mistake was?" He asked Hicca, "Thinking dragons could be trained. A dragon's gonna do, what a dragons gonna do, it's there nature. And nature always wins."

If Hicca wasn't the peaceful kind, she would have punched Mildew right then, or at least set Toothless on him. But how would that have helped? So instead, Hicca just let Toothless growl at him as he slinked away.

As Hicca stood there silently, the large doors to the hall opened and a cold wind rushed into, the freeze would be upon them soon. It suddenly got colder as the strong wind blew out the remaining fire pit at the centre of the hall. As Hicca and a few other villagers let out a shiver, Toothless turned and spat a plasma blast into the fire pit.

One of the Viking women was surprised for a moment, then she thanked the large Night Fury. Hicca watched the fire for a moment, as the wheels in her head slowly started turning again.

"You know what... Mildew's absolutely right," Hicca said as she suddenly had an idea. "Come on bud," she and Toothless ran for the entrance to the Great Hall. She had to tell the others as soon as possible.

As the sun finally set, the other teens were saying their final goodbyes to their dragons, some even apologizing to their dragons for not being able to help them. Slowly and sadly, the dragons slipped into the arena, ready to be caged away behind its heavy doors.

"It feels like big sharp teeth are tearing at this... thing in my chest," Snotlout said sadly, not knowing what he was feeling.

"That's what it feels like when you're heart is breaking," Arvid answered solemnly.

But Snotlout just had to act like himself again, "I don't have a heart, I'm not a sissy like you."

But for once, Arvid was too upset to even roll his eyes at the other male. As the heavy chains lowered the wooden doors into place, the teens could only watch as the miserable faces of their dragons were thrown into shadows, like prisoners.

"Don't close it!" Hicca's voice suddenly sounded from above.

Toothless slowly emerged out of the night sky, and swooped over the teen's heads. When he landed, Hicca jumped of his back and rushed over to the lever that controlled the arena door, pushing it back to open the doors again.

"We are not locking them up," she told the other teens firmly.

"What happened? Did you change your father's mind?" Arvid asked excitedly. But then his face changed to an unsure look, "Or are we going behind his back again?"

Hicca shuffled a little nervously, "Uh... One of those. Look, the dragons are going to do, what they're going to do, it's their nature. We just need to learn how to use it," Hicca loved being able to use Mildew's own words against him. Then she told the others her plan.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning bright and early, Mulch and Bucket were following Stoicks orders, trying to catch enough fish to refill the stores. But once again, the nets came up empty, they were starting to lose hope.

But just above the fishing boat, Hicca and Snotlout flew into position.

"Snotlout, scare us up some fish," Hicca called to her cousin.

While she went off to check on the others, Hookfang swooped up and then came plummeting back down again. When Mulch and Bucket spotted him, their first instinct was to run and hide, but that soon turned into confusion when the Monstrous Nightmare dived into the water.

Underneath the surface, Hookfang swam in a large circle around the boat. Slowly getting tighter and tighter, until the fish had nowhere else to go, but straight into the fishing nets. When Hookfang shot out of the water, Snotlout couldn't help but give a cheer of triumph.

Meanwhile, Hicca took Arvid and Fishlegs towards Mildews fields, they were about to give the grumpy old man quite a surprise.

"Morning Mildew!" Arvid yelled and he and Stormfly flew in low over Mildew's fields. The Deadly Nadders long spiked tail dragged across the earth, digging a deep groove as she went. Then Hicca and Toothless flew right behind them, scattering seeds along the newly dug trench. Hicca flew back up into the air, and spotted Fishlegs and Meatlug leading a large group of dragons right towards them. Right on time.

"Three o'clock, time for the fertilizer," Hicca called down to Mildew. That was the only warning he got, before the dragons did their business all over his field. All the while, Mildew just watched in bewilderment. "Smile Mildew, we just saved you three months of work," Hicca smirked down at him and took off once more.

At that same time, the twins were doing what they did best. One top of their two headed dragon, they were rampaging through the forest, making huge explosions and causing a stampede of frightened wild boars. Then with Hicca and Toothless's help, they directed them towards one of the waiting farm houses nearby, closing the doors behind them.

"That was awesome!" Fishlegs cheered.

Arvid gave a huge grin and looked up at Hicca, "How did you know that was going to work?"

"Because their dragons, and they're going to do, what dragons do. We just have to work with them and not against them," Hicca said as she dismounted. "You know who we should actually be thanking?"

"There they are Stoick." Speak of the devil.

Mildew trudged up the hill, with the chief at his side. "Those dragons don't look like they're in cages to me"

Stoick nodded, "No, this is not what I asked for." He turned to Hicca and the others with an unhappy look.

Stoick order for the dragons to be put in cages at the arena, and for all of the teens to also be there, he was going to have a serious talk with them. This time there was no arguing.

With the teens and dragons all in the arena, the villagers gathered around the outside to see what Stoick was going to do. As he entered with Gobber at his side, the teens shuffled nervously. They had done some much good work in one day, but in doing so, they had gone against Stoick's orders.

"Oh no, what's Stoick going to do to us?" Fishlegs asked quietly as he hid behind Arvid.

"I'm too pretty for jail," Ruffnut whined, causing Tuffnut to give a chuckle.

"Where'd you hear that?"

But just as Ruffnut was about to retort, Stoicks booming voice sounded. "You all disobeyed my orders, and there will be consequences."

"I told you we were going to get in trouble, you never listen to me," Arvid hissed at Hicca.

Hicca winced slightly, but then stepped forward to stand in front of the group. "Dad, if anyone's going to get in trouble, it should be me."

But Stoick wasn't having any of it. "No, you all had a hand in this." As Stoick paced in front of the teens, worried murmurs started to rise from the crowd, but Mildew was watching everything unfold with obvious glee. "You all took over this place without asking, you released the dragons against my wishes... things are going to change around here."

Stoick stopped pacing and turned to face them all, "That's why I-"

"You're getting a Dragon Training Academy!" Gobber suddenly but in.

His outburst sending a wave of surprise and shock through the teens and the rest of the Vikings.

Stoick looked at Gobber with annoyance, "Gobber! I wanted to tell them."

"I'm sorry, you're right," Gobber apologized. "Go ahead."

"Well you told most of it."

"You can tell them the part about how proud you are of them."

"Gobber!"

Hicca couldn't help but give a slight giggle, sometimes Gobber and Stoick really did act like a married couple, it was nice having two dads.

Stoick groaned and turned back to the teens, "Hicca... well... what he said. You've all made me proud." He walked over to the caged dragons, and put his large hand on the lever to the side of the cage, "This Dragon Training Academy... Is for you."

With that, Stoick pulled down the lever, and released the dragons. Each one of them shooting out to reconnect with their human, Hicca hugged Toothless tightly. It had only been a short while, but she had missed him so much.

Stoick walked up behind his daughter, "Now, all you have to do is train them."

"Not a problem dad. After all, I've got him," Hicca added as she scratched Toothless under the chin. She gave another laugh as Arvid clear his throat behind her, "And them too."

Hicca looked out at her friends and their dragons, she could feel this was the start of something big.

 _Dragons can't change who they are. But who would want them to? Dragons are powerful, amazing creature, and as long as it takes me, I'm going to learn everything there is to know about them. Wouldn't you?_

End of episode 1.

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 **So what do you think? This is the start of brand new 40 chapter story, covering the first 2 seasons of Riders and Defenders of Berk. I will then cover the Race to the Edge season if enough people want me to :)**

 **Let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	2. Vikings for Hire

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 2 here and the second episode of the first season :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 02**

 **Vikings for Hire**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

/

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/

 _Everybody needs a place in the world. Some people are born into theirs. Some people discover theirs. And some people make a place for themselves. But then the world around them changes, and the place they made... is gone._

At the brand new Dragon Training Academy, class was in session.

The teens were split into two groups, Arvid and Fishlegs on one team, Snotlout and the twins on the other. Hicca stood at the front of the class, reading through her notes and coming up with questions for the teams, so far however, it was kind of one sided.

"Every dragon has its own unique abilities that give it a special place in this world," Hicca started as she stood in front of the chalk board. "Which dragon makes the best welding torch?"

Arvid raised his hand eagerly, "Deadly Nadder!"

"Its magnesium flame burns with the heat of the sun," Fishlegs finished.

"Correct! Points go to team Arvid," Hicca called. She turned and added ten more points to Arvid and Fishlegs' side of the board, "The score is now one hundred to ten."

Arvid gave a snicker as he looked over to Snotlout and the twins, "And you started with ten."

"Oh yeah, well the games not over," Tuffnut said with a grin. But a confused look suddenly crossed his face, "Wait, what team am I on?"

Hicca shook her head and continued, "Next question. What is the shot limit of a Hideous Zippleback? Team Snotlout?"

Arvid nudged Fishlegs, "I don't think they can count that high."

Unfortunately, Ruffnut heard him. "Oh really? Let's find out." The two headed dragon that sat behind her raised its heads as she called to them, "Barf! Belch!"

On command, the Hideous Zippleback fired its first shot at Arvid and Fishlegs, forcing them and their dragons to take cover. Barf let out several small puffs of gas, and Belch lit each one as they came out, firing off six shots in total.

Tuffnut gave a chuckle, "Looks like it's about three."

"Told you we could count that high," Ruffnut said with a grin.

Hicca decided to take sympathy on the twins. "It's six, you're half right, five points."

The female twin gave a small cheer, "Yes! We're up to thirty."

She high fived her brother and Snotlout, not realising that they now had to deal with a pissed off Arvid. "Alright, it's our turn. What happens when you shoot fire at the owner of a Deadly Nadder?"

Before anyone else could react, Arvid gave a whistle. Stormfly jumped up and whipped her tail round, shooting several spikes at the other team. The spikes caught their clothes, and pinned all three members of the opposite team to the wall.

"No fair, he didn't give us time to answer," Tuffnut complained.

Snotlout pulled himself free of the spikes, and stomped over to where Hookfang was resting. "I've got a question, what happens when I sick Hookfang on you?"

This was starting to get a little too heated, so Hicca quickly decided to end the lesson. "Okay guys, that's enough training. So, we did some really great work here today," Hicca closed her book and tried to change the subject.

Unfortunately, Snotlout was still in a fighting mood. "Prepare to face the Monstrous Nightmare!" Snotlout yelled dramatically. But as he tapped Hookfang on the jaw to wake him up, the dragon suddenly jolted awake. His large yellow eyes snapped open and he gave a roar, shaking his body as flames began to ripple along his scales, including where Snotlout was sitting on his neck.

Snotlout yelped and jumped off of his dragon, rushing over to a basin of water and jumping in, effectively putting out the fire on his leggings. "That's the third time this week!"

"Hookfang never flames up when you're riding him, is he okay?" Hicca asked with concern,

"Maybe he just realised who his rider was," Arvid suggested with a smirk, more amused than concerned.

"Let's see how you like having your but set on fi-" But before Snotlout could finish his threat, Arvid dunked his head under the water, effectively shutting him up

/LINE BREAK/

Back in the village, Hicca noticed a stall set up outside the Blacksmiths shop. There was already a large crowd gathered, so she decided to investigate.

"Gather round! Come on, one and all!" Gobber called out to the crowd. It didn't take Hicca long to realise that her old mentor was selling off his arsenal as household appliances.

Hicca watched with a slight frown as Gobber demonstrated how a long sword could be used as a butter knife. Which ended in not only the bread being sliced to bits, but also the plate it was on.

"Well this is a dark day," Hicca heard a grumble from beside her. Of course Mildew would be standing next to her, the person who hated her the most in the entire village.

"A great dragon slayer, peddling his weapons as kitchen utensils." Hicca just faced forward and tried to ignore him, but his words did hold some truth. It was actually a little depressing to see Gobber try and pass of a beautifully crafted mace as a fly swatter, only to destroy the table under it and leave the fly unharmed.

It only got worse from there. Next came Gobber's most prized possession, Big Bertha the Catapult. Hicca had seen Gobber faun over the small catapult many times. He had built all of his weapons with his own two hands, but Bertha was special. He had worked on her until her aim was absolutely perfect, and he had used her to take down many dragons when they used to raid the village.

But now, there wasn't a need for her. But Gobber just couldn't bring himself to destroy her, or any of his weapons for that matter. So, that only left trying to sell her off as a home security system.

Again, Gobber's demonstration ended badly, with a large hole now in Silent Sven's roof. After that, the crowd had finally had enough and started to separate. Gobber called after them, he still had so much to show them, but it was hopeless.

Gobber turned back to his catapult and placed a hand on the heavy frame. "It's okay Bertha. We'll find a place for you."

"Oh it's hard to watch, especially for you, ay? Hicca? Feelings of guilt must be tearing at your insides, I mean, you put him out of business with your little peace pact with the dragons. You ruined his life, Bravo." With that, Mildew finally left. Leaving Hicca to watch as her mentor packed away his weapons slowly, he really did have no place for them.

Mildew had been right, Hicca did feel guilty.

/LINE BREAK/

That night, Hicca sat on her bed with Toothless curled around her.

She just sat there thinking, her foot dangling off the side of the bed, and her metal leg making a slight 'clank' every time it hit the bed frame.

"You know Gobber made this for me," She told Toothless as she gestured to her prosthetic. "He taught me everything I need to know to make your tail. I've got to find some way to help him."

Just then, Hicca heard the sound of her father arriving home, he was much later than usual.

Stoick's heavy feet dragged across the floor as he made his way over to his large armchair. He placed his helmet on the table and sat down with a loud and tired groan, rubbing his head to try and make the pounding stop.

Hicca tried to be as quiet as possible as she and Toothless climbed down stairs to greet him, "Tough day of chiefing, Dad?"

Stoick gave another groan, "I was all over the island. I married this weaving girl to the lookout guard's boy at dawn, then down to the fields where these kids were tipping over yaks, then back up to the newlyweds so settle a domestic dispute." As he complained about his day, Hicca took a large tankard and filled it with water, she then gave it to her father with a gentle smile. "I guess that honeymoon was over," Stoick said returning the slight smile.

As Stoick rested he aching feet, Hicca kneeled next to the fire pit and added some more logs, all the while listening to her father as he complained.

"Sometimes I wish there were two of me..." He had said it mostly to himself. But the moment those words registered in Hicca head, she suddenly had an idea.

"Th-There are two of you!" Hicca said excitedly.

Unfortunately, Stoick took it the wrong way. "Is that another crack about my weight?" Stoick asked angrily, slamming his tankard down on the table. Not many people realised it, but Stoick was often a little touchy when it came to his size. He had always been large, and it had often led to problems, like bumping into things or other things being too small for him. It was a bit of a sensitive subject.

"No, I mean Gobber. He can be the other you," Hicca corrected herself.

"Gobber? But he's way too busy making all those dragon killing-" Stoick stopped himself and cleared his throat. Hicca just waited patiently for him to get his words right, "Uh well... He used to be, until you... Which is great! Except for Gobber..."

Hicca spoke up again, "Exactly my point."

Stoick thought for a second, then he nodded. "You know what, that's actually not such a bad idea. I could use a right hand," Stoick mused to himself as he stood from his chair.

"Which works our great, because that's... kind of the only one he has," Hicca noted.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning, Stoick asked Gobber for his assistance. Of course, Gobber was happy to be of some use, so he jumped at the chance to help Stoick and the other villagers.

"I greatly appreciate you helping me out Gobber," Stoick said as they made their way towards the plaza.

Gobber gave a small smile, "I'm just glad I could find time in my busy schedule, Stoick." To be honest, the boredom was starting to get to him.

"Well you've got a full day ahead of you." As Stoick said that, he torn his check list in half and handed one side to Gobber. "Here's your half."

Gobber looked down at his list, "Oh, this'll be interesting."

A frown formed on Stoicks face then, he felt the need to mention something. "Now remember, some of these situations are delicate. They require diplomacy."

Gobber gave a huge smile, "Oh don't worry, I'm great at... that."

"Really? You? You can speak to people with tact and sensitivity?" Stoick asked with a surprised look.

"Oh, I thought it meant clubbing people on the head and asking questions later. But I can give your thing a shot," With that, Gobber turned and made his way to his first job. Completely missing the worried look on the chief's face.

Gobber's first job was a naming ceremony for a new born baby. It was simple, welcome the baby into the tribe, give it a name, and don't drop it.

Gobber stood on the small platform, and read from his notes that Stoick had given him, "Whom so ever brings this child forth into the Hooligan tribe, let he be known!" The parents stepped forward and gently gave their baby to Gobber, he nestled it as gently and securely as he could into his hook hand, and continued the ceremony.

"As a representative of the chief, I welcome this baby into the Hooligan tribe, and pronounce the name to be..." The father whispered in Gobber's ear. But Gobber looked surprised and shifted the cloth to see the baby's face better, "Uh, Hildegard? Doesn't seem like a Hildegard to me, let's call it Magnus." Gobber announced after a moment of thought.

"But she's a girl Gobber," The mother said crossly.

Gobber wasn't trying to be rude, but unfortunately, he was honest. "Don't worry, she's not going to look like one."

He then proceeded to try and give the baby a mace as a teething toy. Needless to say, no one else wanted Gobber to name their child after that. Next on Gobber's list, was handling a dispute between Bucket and Mulch. He met the two of them at their house near the shore.

"Bucket says you never paid him for the sheep," Gobber told Mulch firmly.

Mulch looked insulted, "I never bought a sheep."

But just then, said sheep scurried out from behind Mulch, giving away its location with a loud 'Baa'.

"Who's that? The little woman?" Gobber asked with an amused look. "Clearly, there's only one way to settle this," Gobber turned and picked up two weapons from behind the table. He handed Mulch the mace, gave the hammer to Bucket, and then left.

Outside the house, Gobber ignored the sounds of fighting, and checked the next item on his list. "Diplomacy? Check. Alright, what's next?"

A little while later, the news of Gobber's less than diplomatic solutions soon reached Stoick's ears. When he found the old blacksmith, he was hammering metal sheets to the hull of Silent Sven's boat. This wasn't going to end well.

"Gobber! What do you think you're doing!?" Stoick called out to him. He was being followed by two very angry parents, their daughter Magnus, and a battered and bruised looking Bucket and Mulch.

"Just checking another item off the list," Gobber said proudly. He gave the ships new reinforced hull another bang, loving the sound of metal on metal. But that final hit had knocked the ship out of its hold. It slid down the ramp, into the water, and promptly sank to the bottom of the harbour.

There was silence for a moment. Then Gobber's optimistic voice sounded again, "And... adding an item for later. Recover sunken ship. Same time tomorrow," Gobber asked cheerfully. Still oblivious to the groans from the other villagers, and the face-palm from Stoick.

/LINE BREAK/

That night, Stoick arrived home even later than the day before. Every one of his joints was aching, and his head was pounding like a war drum. So much so, that he raised a second ice block to his temple and gave a sigh, trying to numb the pain.

Hicca gave him a worried look and set another tankard of water on the table next to him, "Here you go dad." Stoick didn't say anything, he just slowly placed one of the ice blocks down and drank from the tankard. "Wow, a two block headache," Hicca noted. She hadn't seen her father use two ice blocks in a long time, not since long before they made peace with the dragons.

Hicca gave her father time to breath before she spoke again, "You know dad, I think you're being a wee bit... rough, on Gobber. It was his first day, tomorrow will be way better."

Stoick set his drink down heavily, "Oh, it will be for me. Because it won't involve Gobber."

"What do you mean?" Hicca asked worriedly, flinching as Stoick slammed his now empty tankard on the table.

"I tried to fit a square peg in a round hole, it stunk a ship and name a baby girl Magnus. I'm not saying she didn't look like a Magnus, but try telling that to her parents."

"I can't believe you let him go. Well, we've got to help him," Hicca tried to persuade her father.

But her father wasn't budging, "We don't have to do anything. You on the other hand, are going to be very busy finding a job for Gobber."

With that, Stoick trudged upstairs to bed, leaving Hicca to wonder what she was going to do next. Well... there was one place Gobber might be able to help.

/LINE BREAK/

"Here? You're bringing Gobber... here?" Fishlegs asked again, trying to make sure he heard Hicca right the first time.

The teens and their dragons all gathered at the academy. They all knew Hicca had been trying to help out her old mentor, but they never would have guessed she'd bring him here, especially not to help with the dragons.

"He's going to be great," Hicca tried to reassure them. "Nobody knows dragon like Gobber, he's spent a life time... studying them." Hicca tried to phrase her words right.

Just then, Gobber threw open the main doors and came storming into the arena, "I'm back! Did you miss me!?"

The teens all recoiled in horror, but not nearly as much as the dragons did. They all recognised those mismatched limbs and loud voice, it also didn't help that Gobber was pulling a large wagon behind him. A wagon filled with sharp, pointy and deadly weapons.

Hicca walked along side Gobber as he pulled his tools further into the ring. "First of all, welcome. And second... uh... tiny question. Why did you bring all of your... uh... you know..."

"Killing things?" Gobber suggested, but those really weren't the words Hicca was looking for. "I thought maybe, we could try and train them... By threatening to kill them. That's how my daddy taught me to swim." Gobber searched through the assortment of weapons, and pulled out a vicious looking thing, it looked like an axe with three ridiculously large heads.

The dragons all shrank back in horror just at the sight of it, and it didn't get better when Gobber slammed a heavy mace into the ground. "School's in session!"

The dragons didn't wait around to see more of Gobber's arsenal. Hookfang, Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf and Balch, all ran out of the arena and flew away as fast as they could.

Leaving Toothless as the only dragon left, while the humans all watched as the dragons flew as far away as they could. But Gobber just shrugged his shoulders, "I never liked school either."

Since there were no dragons to train, Gobber didn't stay at the academy for much longer, he packed up his equipment and trudged back to his shop. The other teens also left to try and find their dragons, leaving just Hicca and Toothless in the ring. Thankfully it was a warm day, so Toothless lay on the stone floor, and Hicca sat next to him and read through the dragon manual.

It was a long time before Tuffnut, Ruffnut and Arvid finally returned. Snotlout was still trying to calm Hookfang down, and Fishlegs had taken Meatlug home to let her rest. But as Arvid and the twins dismounted from their dragons, they were all groaning in pain.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Hicca asked as she stood from the ground.

Arvid groaned as he stretched and popped his back, "We've been riding our dragons for four hours, it took us forever to chase them down after Gobber scared them away."

Hicca gave a sigh, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I just don't know what to do with him."

Just then, the sound of more pain caught Hicca's attention. She turned to see Tuffnut bent over, with Ruffnut kicking him in the backside.

"Do you guys always have to fight?" Hicca asked with a slightly annoyed tone.

"It's okay, I asked her to do it. I'm just trying to get the feeling back," Tuffnut said tiredly as Ruffnut kicked him again.

"Huh? I've flown for hours on Toothless before, and I've never had a problem," Hicca wondered to herself.

"That's because you have a saddle," Arvid pointed out.

Hicca realised he was right. She had made Toothless's saddle the same time she made his artificial tail, so that she could control his tail via the peddle in his stirrup. The others however, didn't have saddles. It had never occurred to her before, but now that Arvid mentioned it, the idea clicked in Hicca's head.

/LINE BREAK/

"Saddles? I love it!" Gobble shouted happily.

It seemed like a great idea. Gobber was not only good with shaping metal into weapons, but he also had to make leather handles and guards for them. He knew just how to make the perfect saddles.

"I've got so many ideas!" But then Gobber actually looked at Hicca's designs, "but not like these."

He handed the drawings back to Hicca and made his way back into the shop, Hicca followed him. "I'm glad your exited, but I still think there are some things in my designs you could use. I mean, you did teach me everything I know."

Gobber had already started working on something, but turned back to Hicca as he spoke. "Exactly! That's why you should let Gobber do, what Gobber does best. I've been making saddles since you were a wee toddler. I fact, I even made your first pair of tiny booties."

Hicca gave a sigh, "I know you know what you're doing, but keep in mind every dragon is different. So you need to adjust the-"

"Hicca..."

"But it's just-"

"Hicca."

"But-"

"Hicca!" Gobber interrupted her again, this time more firmly. "I may have taught you everything you know. But I haven't taught you everything I know."

Gobber turned and got back to work, and Hicca realised he just wasn't going to listen to her.

He worked long in to the night, singing a cheerful song to himself as he hammered at the metal frame. Hicca and Toothless watched from afar, so long as Gobber was happy, maybe they had done something right.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, Gobber was at the academy again. But this time, in order to make the dragons more comfortable, he didn't bring any weapons. He was instead, unveiling his finished dragon saddles.

"I've made a lot of saddles in my day," Gobber said to the group of teens. "Horse, donkey, and now dragon. But these saddles are special, they're like my children... At least... if you strapped your child to a flaming reptile and rode it. So without further ado..."

Gobber whipped off the large red cloth that was covering the saddles, he had clearly put a lot of effort into the presentation. He had a right to be proud of his work, the saddles were definitely... unique. But it wasn't quite what Hicca had been expecting.

"Wow... th-this is certainly not what I imagined." Hicca's eyes wondered over the saddles. They were indeed very well made, but what caught Hicca's attention, was the assortment of weapons attached to them. "I-Is that a...?" Hicca started, looking over Hookfangs saddle.

"A flamethrower," Gobber said excitedly as he demonstrated. Squeezing the bellows and sending out a stream of air across a small candle perched in front of it. The candle ignited the rushing gas, and let loose a powerful plume of fire, causing Hicca and Arvid to jump back in surprise. "Didn't expecting that, did you?" Gobber asked proudly, the joy on his face was obvious.

"No... N-Not for dragons, they come with one... built in," Hicca stuttered.

"I know, but can you really have too much fire power?" Hicca got the strong feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

The other saddles weren't proving to be much better. The twin saddles for Barf and Belch had catapults fitted to them, but when the twins fired, they ended up hitting the Zippleback in the back of the heads and knocking them out. Meatlugs saddle had a total of four heavy maces hanging off it, she struggled to even get a couple of feet of the ground, before she grew too tired and crashed back to earth. It was clear that she could carry Fishlegs just fine, but not him, a saddle, and four maces.

But Snotlout was already having trouble just attaching the saddle to Hookfangs neck. When the heavy weight forced Hookfangs head down, his jaw made solid contact with the ground. The Nightmare let out a screech and breathed out a stream of fire, then he shook of the offending article, seemingly satisfied when he heard it smash into pieces against the wall.

"Come on Hookfang, what's wrong with you?" Snotlout asked in annoyance. But the dragon just huffed at him and rolled onto his side.

Arvid's saddle wasn't actually that bad, he was able to sit comfortable, and the material didn't seem to bother Stormfly at all. But that soon changed when Gobber suggested he try the horn. When Arvid blew into it, the small horn grew into a bellowing trumpet, shocking Stormfly so much that she accidently fired spines from her tail. Once more snagging Snotlout by his clothes and pinning him to the wall.

"So anyway... I-I think we're going to need to... make a few..." Hicca started. But once more, she was interrupted by Gobber.

"Changes, I'm way ahead of you. I've got so many ideas," As Hicca heard those words again, the bad feeling she had in the pit of her stomach only grew.

/LINE BREAK/

At the end of the day, after everyone went home, Hicca stayed behind to clean up.

She still had a long way to go, and it was already sunset. It was so late, that Stoick had actually come looking for her.

"My Odin..." He stated as he surveyed the damage. "This place looked better when we were killing dragons here."

"Yeah, we sort of got... Gobbered," Hicca confessed.

"Well, you know Gobber, he means well. He just doesn't always do well. So... what are you going to do about it?" He asked his daughter expectantly.

"I'm going to clean up his messes and redo his work," Hicca answered simply as she kept sweeping.

Stoick gave a sigh. He knew his daughter, she was willing to make her life more difficult, just so that she wouldn't have to upset others. "Hicca, Gobber's like family."

"I know," Hicca snapped dropping her broom, even she was getting frustrated. "I know he is, that's why I can't say anything to him."

"No Hicca, that's why you have to. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to Gobber." Stoick told Hicca, placing a large hand on her shoulder.

"Why do I have to tell him?" Hicca asked shrugging his hand off her shoulder. "You didn't, you just passed him onto me."

"That's what a chief does, he delegates," her father answered simply. "Look, I gave you this academy because it's the best thing for Berk. Now you need to do what's best for the academy, and I'm sorry Hicca, but what's best is rarely what's easy." In a way, Hicca knew what her father was trying to teach her. She needed to learn how to be tougher, and to do what was best. And right now, the best thing would be to tell Gobber the truth.

As Stoick lead Hicca out of the academy, Toothless stood and followed them. But then they passed Snotlout, still hanging on the wall by Stormfly's spines.

"What about him?" Stoick asked.

"Leave him, he's going for a record," Hicca answered with a slight smile.

"Enough said," Stoick agreed.

When they arrived home just after sunset, Hicca lit a torch, and went with Toothless to go see Gobber. She needed to talk to him, and now was as good a time as any.

"Hey, you never know bud. Maybe Gobber looked at my plans and is actually making the saddles better," Hicca talked to Toothless to reassure herself. But a large crash from the shop soon put a stop to those thoughts. "Or not..."

Hicca carefully made her way into Gobber's shop, calling out for him softly as she peaked around a corner. "Gobber?"

Before Hicca could even think, there was suddenly a loaded crossbow in her face.

"Don't shoot!" Hicca raised her arms in surrender.

Thankfully, when Gobber realised it was her, he lowered the weapon. "I would never shoot you Hicca. Unless I absolutely had to," He added in a slightly joking tone.

Hicca let out a forced and nervous laugh, "Yeah... Still, if you could please put down the crossbow... I know I'd feel better."

Gobber nodded. He put the weapon down onto the table and turned back to his work. "You know, about the weapons... Maybe the catapults were a bit much for some of the dragons yesterday, so I've gone a different route and gotten rid of the two big ones. "

Straight away Hicca breathed a sigh of relief, "Gobber that's great."

"And replaced them with six little ones," Gobber held up a spoon proudly.

Hicca went straight back to feeling nervous again. "Yeah... about that... Gobber, we need to talk. I-I think it might be time for you to... take a little break?"

She tried to be subtle, but Gobber didn't quite get it. "In case you haven't noticed, the only time a Viking takes a break is to die."

Hicca knew Gobber was serious, she had known him to keep working almost to the point of passing out. Of course, that was back when he had customers. Now that he had found something to do, it would be difficult for him to let it go.

Hicca tried again. "Maybe 'break' is the wrong word. What I mean is... I'm not sure things are working out."

But still, Gobber didn't quite get it. "Well get back to me when you're sure."

There was no way around this, Hicca had to come straight out and say it. She took a deep breath, "Okay, I'm sure. Gobber... I'm going to need to take you off the saddle project."

The hammering sound stopped as those words left Hicca's mouth, and Gobber lowered his hammer onto the table. In a way, he had known this would happen. His designs just weren't suited for the dragons, and now, once again, he was no longer needed. He felt like he was letting people down, and he hated that more than anything.

"Are you getting rid of me Hicca? Now I see why you had me put down my crossbow," Gobber half joked, obviously hiding his pain from Hicca.

"It's just the saddles, we'll find something else for you," Hicca tried to reassure him.

Gobber finally turned to her, putting up a strong front, "I don't need your pity. I've lost an arm and a leg... I think I'll survive losing a job."

Even though the saddle he was making wasn't going to be needed anymore, Gobber still used it as an excuse to turn away from Hicca as he went back to hammering it.

"I-I'm really sorry, Gobber."

When the larger man didn't answer her, Hicca turned and left the shop. The guilt was hanging over her like a heavy weight now. Gobber was a second father to her, and she had just let him go, and taken away the only job he had left.

"Well that was awful," Hicca muttered to Toothless, she fiddled with a long strand of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. "I don't know what could be worse than that."

Of course, something was listening to Hicca then. As soon as those words left her mouth, a series of screams rang out and villagers ran in fear, a loud roar sounded and a bust of fire shot into the sky. Snotlout came running over to Hicca, trying to get his breath back as fear showed clearly on his face.

"I never... thought... I'd say this. But Hicca... Help!" Snotlout screamed and turned to look behind him.

Another roar rang out as Hookfang sat on top of one of the roofs, his body alight and shooting streams of liquid fire everywhere. He landed on the ground and flicked his head back and forth, whatever had been bothering him for the past few days, it seemed it had finally broken him.

"Everybody back away! The dragon is out of control, it's not safe here," Stoick yelled at the crowd, ordering them back to safety.

Hookfang's roars grew louder as Hicca, Toothless and Snotlout ran to help. "I don't know what happened," Snotlout tried to explain. "I was just scratching his head, he usually loves that. But then he went crazy. My dragon hates me!"

It was obvious that Snotlout was worried for his dragon, and it was easy to see why. When they reached the plaza, the other teens and Stoick were all there watching Hookfang and trying to figure out what was wrong with him. The nightmare roared again, but then his cries turned into whimpers as he rubbed his jaw against the ground, something was clearly bothering him.

Hicca watched closely as she slowly drew closer, "When was the last time he ate?" She asked Snotlout.

"Not for days," Snotlout answered quickly, for once he was being completely serious.

Hicca reached over to a nearby fish basin, pulling out a trout and holding it out for Hookfang, "Are you hungry boy?"

Hookfang still seemed agitated, but he was calm enough to approach Hicca and catch the fish that she threw to him. For a moment, he seemed much better. But then the Nightmare's eyes snapped open again and he let out a pained whimper, he spat the fish out not caring where it landed. Which happened to be in Stoick's beard.

"Sorry dad," Hicca apologized.

Stoick pulled off the half eaten fish and chucked it over his shoulder, stomping forward to stand next to his daughter. "We need to bring this dragon under control," He stated urgently.

"Don't worry, I can do this," Hicca reassured him.

She inched closer to Hookfang again, her voice quiet and her actions slow, much like she had done when she and Hookfang first met. She gently placed her hand on Hookfangs snout, feeling the warm scales under her palm, and watching as he visibly calmed. "There you go, it's going to be okay."

But as her other hand went to stroke his jaw. Hookfang's whole body stiffened again. He reared back and let out another loud roar, his body igniting and another series of flames spewing from his maw.

"Hicca, run!" Arvid yelled out to her.

Toothless jumped into action to protect his rider. As Hicca quickly took a step back to avoid the fire, the Nightfury jumped forward and tackled Hookfang onto his back. He tried to hold Hookfang down, but the Nightmares larger body writhed and wriggled under him, eventually throwing him off. The two circled each other, ready for another fight.

"Toothless, stop!" Hicca cried out. Something was obviously wrong with Hookfang, and hurting him wasn't going to help. She ran forward and stopped Toothless from advancing.

"I've seen enough Hicca," Stoick said as he stepped forward again. "I'm sorry, we tried it your way."

There was only one other way. So as the teens and Toothless stayed to try and keep Hookfang calm, Stoick went to get Gobber.

/LINE BREAK/

It took more than a little convincing for Stoick to pull Gobber out of his depressive state, but once Gobber realised that he was needed once more, he jumped into action. Grabbing a multitude of weapons, he made his way out of the shop to face the dragon threat.

Toothless had managed to distract Hookfang long enough for Gobber to get there, circling the Nightmare without actually engaging him in a fight. All the while, the teens were still trying to come up with a plan to save Snotlout's dragon.

"Come on guys, think. What haven't we tried?" Hicca asked the others. She turned to look at them and saw a strangle look on her cousin's face, "Snotlout, do you have an idea."

Snotlout just pointed with a shaking finger, "Gobber..."

The others turned to see the old blacksmith marching towards them, carrying an array of deadly dragon killing weapons. Axes, maces, bolas, spears, swords, all of them were ready for battle. "Stand back! I came to do what I do best." Gobber called to the teens, if this was the one thing he could do, then he was going to take it seriously.

"He's going to kill my dragon," Snotlout realised in terror.

"Dad, you can't be serious. Hookfang is Snotlout's dragon," Hicca pleaded.

Gobber gave the young girl an apologetic look, "I'm sorry Hicca, but sometimes you need to fall back on the old ways."

But the old ways were in a time when they used to kill dragons. Hicca couldn't let that happen, "But he's a good dragon."

"He's a good dragon," Snotlout agreed, he sounded close to tears.

"We have to help him. We can't just get rid of him because he's having a bad day," Hicca tried to convince her father and mentor, not realising that her words were also referring to Gobber.

"A bad day for a dragon could mean disaster for us," Stoick told his daughter sternly. "That's not a risk I'm willing to take." He then turned to his friend and gave the order.

Gobber did as he was told, despite now feeling slight sorrow for the dragon, he had to do this.

Hookfang roared at him and stretched out his wings menacingly, but Gobber spun a bola in his hand and sent it flying forward, wrapping around the dragons wings. The second bola wrapped around Hookfang's feet, stopping all of his movements. Hookfang tried to shoot more fire, put all that came out were a few small trickles and a coughing sound.

"Ha, your all out of fire," Gobber jeered. Some of the old thrills of dragon killing coming back to him, he reached to his belt and pulled out a sword, ready to end this.

But Hicca wasn't going to let that happen. She raced forward and wrapped her skinny arms around Gobber's beefy forearm, "I can't let you do this."

"There's no other choice, it has to be done." Even though Hicca's weight was barely making a difference, Gobber still did his best to make her let go. He didn't want her to see this.

But during their struggle, Hookfang lit himself on fire again and broke free of the ropes. He charged forward and roared right at Gobber and Hicca. But amongst the deafening sound, Gobber and Hicca spotted something, right at the back of Hookfangs mouth.

"Do you see that?" Gobber asked Hicca as the dragon pulled back.

"I do," Hicca slowly let go of his arm, allowing Gobber to sheath his sword once more.

"Time to put this beast out of its misery."

The others watched in confusion as Hicca allowed Gobber to advance forward. Arvid raced forward to check on her, "Hicca, what are you doing?" Hicca didn't answer, and just held up her hand, telling Arvid to be quiet and watch.

As Hookfang prepared to strike, Gobber quickly swapped out his mace hand for his tong hand, and struck faster. He jumped up and clamped his arms around the dragons jaw, forcing the beast's mouth open and reaching his hand inside. Hookfangs screeched and roared in pain, the sheer volume of it must have been making Gobber's ears ring, but he kept going. He held on tight as Hookfang tried to shake him off, then grasped one of the dragon's teeth in his tongs and yanked on it.

Hookfang screeched again and whipped his head to the side, finally throwing Gobber off of him.

But as Gobber sat up on the ground, Hookfang suddenly returned to his old self, no longer angry on in pain at all.

"You didn't kill him," Snotlout cried out in relief.

"For a toothache? What kind of lunatic are you?" Gobber asked as he held out his prize to show them.

In his pair of tongs, he held a yellowed and rotten dragon tooth. Everything made sense then, that's what had been bothering Hookfang, and why he would freak out every time something touched his jaw.

With the pain in his mouth finally gone, Hookfang flew over to Snotlout and nuzzled him happily. Snotlout returned the hug as the Nightmare lifted him onto his snout, he was just happy to see his dragon was okay and didn't hate him. But then Snotlout remembered that the others were watching.

He quickly motioned for Hookfang to put him down, and went straight back into his tough guy persona, "I don't know where that came from. Can you train that out of him?" Snotlout asked Hicca, while Hookfang just rolled his eyes and started his trek home.

"Thank you Gobber. A bad tooth, I can't believe I didn't think of that," Hicca said with a grateful smile.

"That's because you're not Gobber. I've forgotten more about dragons then most men will ever know," he replied returning the smile. But then his face changed to sadness once more. The fight was over, so he was back to being jobless. "Well, better put the girls away."

As Gobber went over to start picking up his weapons, another thought struck Hicca.

"Gobber, not so fast." She had another idea.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, there was once more a long line of customers outside Gobbers shop, but they weren't there for weapons or saddles.

They were there to get their dragons seen to, by the village's new Dragon Dentist.

 _When the world around you changes, good men find a way to change too. And Gobber is one of those men. In fact, he's one of the best._

End of episode 2.

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 **I think this is one of my favourite episodes in season one, it has some great lines in it and some really good character development :)**

 **So let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	3. Animal House

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 3 here and the third episode of the first season :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 03**

 **Animal House**

 **Hiccup – Hicca:**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

/

/

/

 _Here on Berk, we've made peace with the dragons. We're finally living and working together... and it only took us 300 years. But there's one slight problem... we forgot to tell the animals_

Now that the villagers on Berk knew that dragons could be used to help with their work load, it wasn't uncommon for the farmers, fishermen and others to own working dragons. The beasts could lift heavier loads and could travel much faster through the air, they were a great help.

But dragons were still large and scary monsters, their play fights and loud roars were enough to make most of the other farm animals faint and run for cover. As was the case on Mulch and Bucket's farm.

Like the other farmers, Bucket and Mulch also owned their own dragons. Both of the dragons were a mix of light blue and pink colouring, Mulch had a Monstrous Nightmare he named Chomper, and Bucket had a Deadly Nadder he called Spike. The two dragons were a big help most of the time, but right now, their play fights were terrifying the sheep.

"Oh, not again," Mulch groaned. He and Bucket rushed over to their dragons and shooed the beasts out of the pens, "Go on now! Shoo! You know you're not supposed to be in here!"

Thankfully the dragons listened to their owners and went to play fight somewhere else, leaving Mulch and Bucket to tend to their other animals. While Mulch milked one of the yaks, Bucket checked the chickens, but he was confused when he found no eggs.

"Mulch, chickens lay eggs right?" Bucket asked.

The other man gave a sigh, "Do we really need to go over this again?"

Bucket gave an unsure look, "No..." But then he picked up a sheep and looked under it.

Mulch sighed again, "Well apparently we do. Now, pay attention Bucket." One by one, Mulch gestured to each of the animals with his hook hand and pointed out each one of their uses, wool, eggs and milk. "Now, was that so hard?"

Bucket looked at each of the animals, his expression still a little confused. So Mulch tried again, "Observe."

It wasn't the first time he'd had to re-educate his friend, and it wouldn't be the last. So Mulch decided to walk Bucket through the process of collecting milk from the yaks, but when he pulled on the udder to demonstrate, nothing came out. He tried again, but still nothing. On the third attempt, the yak had clearly had enough, and sharply kicked him out from under her.

Mulch gave a worried look, "Uh oh, I think we're empty, that's not good."

It wasn't long before the two men realised that not only were the yaks not giving milk, but the chickens weren't laying eggs either. This really wasn't good.

/LINE BREAK/

On another island a little distance away from Berk, a tall, snowy mountain towered over the sea level. Arvid and Hicca had found it a little while ago, and it was the perfect place for some dragon sledding. It wasn't often that the two went out like this without the other teens, but it was fun with just them and their dragons, and they didn't have to deal with Snotlout and the twins.

The riders sat on their dragon's backs, as they slid down the hills on their bellies. It was almost like flying, only with the added fun of dodging trees and working around the terrain. It soon turned into a race between the two of them, with Toothless being the more agile one, but Stormfly being slightly lighter.

Of course, Arvid's competitiveness did lead to some foul play. Such as directing Stormfly to fire some of her spines, right in front of Hicca and Toothless's path. Thankfully, Hicca quickly spotted the spines and directed Toothless around them.

"Whoa! Hey, Arvid!" Hicca yelled out, trying to sound annoyed.

"Oops, did I do that?" He asked in mock innocence.

Hicca gave a smirk and forced Toothless forward, soon catching up to the other two. Just as they passed them, Toothless shot out his wing to block their line of sight.

"Hey, not fair!" Arvid yelled. But as soon as Toothless took his wing away, Arvid's face turned to fear.

A thin branch, covered in snow, hit Arvid dead in the face. The branch whipped past him, sending a heap of snow into his hair, and a cold chill through his whole face. Arvid huffed and pushed the snow off him, "So, it's going to be like that, huh?"

It was then Hicca's turn to mock innocence, "I have no idea what you're talking about." She and Toothless both gave a sly look as they continued to pull ahead, while Arvid and Stormfly planned their next move.

When they spotted a snow pile in front of them, Stormfly spat out a flaming shot. It hit the snow drift and sent a plume of steam right into Hicca's face, Toothless dug his claws into the snow, but that just made them spin and slide around.

By the time they regained their bearings, Arvid and Stormfly were in the lead again.

"It was her idea," Arvid called back. "But I approved," he added with a laugh.

Hicca was about to retort, when she heard a deep rumble behind her. She turned around and saw where the sound was coming from, the sight of it making her whole body stiffen.

All of their playing around had caused an avalanche, and it was gaining on them.

Hicca pushed down on Toothless's peddle, but when he tried to take off, they came straight back down again. Hicca looked around to try and see what was wrong, and saw that Toothless's artificial tail fin was frozen shut.

With the cascade of snow still gaining on them, Hicca called out to Arvid to warn him.

Thankfully the blond boy heard her, he turned with a smile, expecting another snide remark. But what he got was the sight of an avalanche chasing them instead. As they jumped over a snow ridge, Stormfly took off into the air.

But as Arvid looked around for Hicca, he saw that they were still sliding down the mountain. Something must be wrong. "Hicca!" He yelled down to her. He looked further down the mountain, trying to see if there was something he could use to help. But instead, he spotted a gapping crack in the side on the rock face. "Hold on," he cried out as he swooped down to Hicca.

Hicca got out of Toothless's saddle, and quickly and carefully made her way across his body, trying to break the ice around his tail. When she heard Arvid call down to her, she turned and waved him away franticly, "No! Get back!"

But Arvid didn't listen. He flew Stormfly as close as he could, and held out his hand for Hicca to grab. Hicca grabbed it, hopping to at least pull Toothless over the large gap that they were quickly approaching.

But they reached the gap much sooner than they thought. Toothless fell into the hole, dragging Hicca down with him, and then Arvid and Stormfly in turn. Their screams were soon blocked out as the snow piled in on top of them, and everything went dark.

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca awoke to the cold and dark space. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel the biting cold, and hear the sound of chattering teeth nearby.

"A-Arvid?" She stuttered.

"Over here," She heard Arvid's voice, although slightly quieter than usual. "Hicca, its freezing..."

It made sense that Arvid was feeling the cold more than she was, he always went around in his sleeveless tunic. Whereas Hicca had long sleeves and a fur jacket. "Come here," she called out as she searched for him in the dark.

Their hands soon found each other, and Hicca pulled Arvid closer. She ran her fingers up his arms and felt the biting cold of his bare skin, she quickly wrapped her arms round him, and he wrapped his arms around her back. Her covered arms against his, and the fur that he now gripped in his hands did seem to help. Arvid pulled her closer so that their thighs were touching, and rested his chin on her head, he didn't want her to be cold because of him.

"W-Where are the dragons?" Hicca asked.

Just as she did so, a blue light suddenly filled the space they were in. They both looked up just as the space turned dark again, but for a few seconds, they spotted two familiar faces.

"Toothless?"

In response, an orange fire lit up the space, again reviling their dragons before returning to darkness

"Stormfly?"

The two heard a squawk, and Stormfly fired again, then followed by another of Toothless's shots. But this time they did not return to darkness. The dragons fired in turn, and slowly opened up a hole in the icy roof above them.

"I see day light," Hicca cried.

"We're going to get out," Arvid said happily.

They could now see the sky above them and the rock walls around them filled with ice and snow, thankfully they hadn't fallen far. Hicca also looked at the dragons around them. In the small space where they landed, Toothless and Stormfly had spread their wings and shielded their two riders from the falling snow and ice.

"Look what they did."

"They saved our lives," Arvid answered. It was yet another thing that they would never be able to thank their dragons enough for.

Then Arvid and Hicca turned to face the other... and realised that they were still holding on to each other, their bodies close together, and their faces inches apart.

Hicca and Arvid instantly let go, both giving awkward coughs and yelps as they shuffled apart, their faces blushed bright red.

"Um... So... Erm... So, we're good now," Hicca coughed awkwardly.

"G-Good as new," Arvid stuttered as he nodded with embarrassment.

The two still had a strange relationship. They were in that weird place between friends and... more than friends. The place where they didn't hold hands and felt awkward hugging, but they did flirt a little and everyone around them made jokes about them dating.

However, the awkwardness soon grew too much for Arvid, and he punched Hicca in the arm. Arvid didn't like to pull his punches, but the way he punched Hicca was very different to how he hit Snotlout. It was his way of giving Hicca special treatment, while not letting onto anyone else know that he was going soft.

After Hicca had managed to unlock Toothless's tail, the two took off and headed back to Berk.

/LINE BREAK/

Meanwhile, back on Berk, Bucket and Mulch had called Stoick and Gobber about their animal problem.

Gobber examined the yaks and then turned to Stoick, "Aha, just as I thought. They're not giving milk."

"We know that Gobber, we want to know why," Stoick said with a troubled look.

Gobber thought for a moment, "You know, this reminds me of the time I moved my mother in with my goat. She was mean, grouchy, and ate everything in sight. The goat was so scared of her, she couldn't give milk."

Stoick gave a confused look, "So... What are you saying Gobber?"

"Mothers and goats don't mix," Gobber spelt out. "Same with farm animals and dragons. We stopped fighting the dragons, so now they're around all the time. The animals are spooked."

To prove Gobbers point, Mulch's nightmare flew over head, making the animals scatter. Three of the sheep even fainted. It was a problem, and the worst part... It wasn't just happening to Bucket and Mulch's animals. All the farm animals were spooked by the dragons, and none of them could produce what the Vikings needed.

Just then, Stoick and Gobber heard a groan coming from behind them. They both turned to see Bucket staggering around holding his head, and groaning in pain.

"Uh oh, your bucket's not tightening up you, is it?" Mulch asked trying to comfort his friend.

Bucket tried to lie, "No... I'm... Fine!" He cried out as he collapsed to the ground in pain.

Mulch ran over to him. "Whenever his bucket get's tight, that means a storm is coming," he explained to Gobber and Stoick.

"No storm, everything's fine," Bucket groaned again.

Gobber and Stoick shared a confused look. "Bucket..." Mulch pressed with a knowing look.

"I don't want there to be a storm. If lightning strikes my bucket, I could end up less intelligent," Bucket whimpered, then he cried out again and gripped his head in pain. Mulch checked around Bucket's head, "Oh, that's one tight bucket. The tighter the bucket, the bigger the storm."

Stoick gave a frown, "That's crazy, storms don't hit this early in the season."

"And besides, whoever heard of predicting the weather with a bucket? That's what chicken bones and goose feet are for," Gobber pointed out.

Mulch stepped forward, "If you remember correctly, that bucket of his predicted the Blizzard of Olaf."

"That was a bad one," Bucket said as he recalled the storm. "It took us a week to dig Mildew out."

"And the rest of our lives to wonder why we bothered," Mulch said with a slight chuckle. Then he turned back to Stoick, "Trust the bucket Stoick."

"You trust the bucket, I want a second opinion," Stoick answered. He left the farm with Gobber, they then made their way up the mountain to Gothi's house at the very peak.

When the two of them reached Gothi's home, they found the soothsayer moving things around on her porch. She gave the two of them a slight bow, and they returned it.

"Gothi I've come for your council. Is there going to be a storm?" Stoick asked as he stepped forward.

Gothi walked near the edge of her porch, and dragged her staff threw a patch of sand there. Soothsayers were not supposed to speak allowed, they had to remain quiet at all times so that they could listen to nature and the whispers of the earth. So they spoke through writings and symbols. Few could understand the drawings, but Gobber was one of them.

"What's she saying Gobber?" Stoick asked quietly so as not to disturb the old woman.

"She says, 'What do you think?'" Gobber read aloud, turning to Stoick with a confused look.

Gothi rolled her eyes at the two of them, and pointed with her staff behind them. Stoick and Gobber both turned to see bordered up windows and heavy sandbags, obvious signs of someone expecting a storm.

Stoick turned back to Gothi, "How can you be so sure? Was it the chicken bones? Or the goose feet?"

Gothi drew in the sand again, and Gobber read them. "Uh huh... She says she could hear Bucket's screaming from way up here."

Stoick started to rethink his response to Mulch earlier. If Gothi trusted the bucket, then he should too. But also, being able to hear the screams from all the way up here, that bucket must be getting really tight, and that meant a really bad storm.

/LINE BREAK/

When Hicca and Arvid returned, they met with Snotlout and Fishlegs at the old catapult. They wanted to tell them about what they'd experienced.

"And then, the dragons used their wings to block the snow." Hicca told the others excitedly.

Fishlegs also seemed fascinated, "I've never heard of anything like that. Not even in the book of dragons."

"I know, it was incredible" Arvid said, equally excited. "It's as if their protective instincts just kicked in. If it weren't for them, we would have frozen to death." Arvid looked fondly over his shoulder at Toothless and Stormfly

"You know, you could have used your own bodies to keep each other warm," Fishlegs spoke up.

Unfortunately, that just brought back all the feelings of awkwardness for Hicca and Arvid again. Even though they weren't sitting that close to each other, they still jumped further away, just to be safe.

"Who would do that?" Hicca asked quickly.

"That's crazy," Arvid tried to sound nonchalant.

"Well it sure is a shame that your... date... got interrupted," Snotlout teased.

Arvid gave him a glare and elbowed the frame of the catapult, causing the old frame to shake slightly, and the arm to move down another notch. A large section of the snow that had gathered on the holder, fell directly onto Snotlout, effectively burying him. Allowing only a muffled sound of annoyance to sound from inside.

Hicca gave a small chuckle, then she turned as her name was called.

"Hey Hicca, you're father's looking for you," Tuffnut called up to her with a grin.

Ruffnut also gave a chuckle, "Yeah, and he looked angry."

Hicca stood with a sigh, "He's looked angry since the day I was born... But I'm sure there's no connection." With that, she mounted Toothless and they took off towards their home.

/LINE BREAK/

At the Haddock household, Gobber, Hicca and Toothless all watched as Stoick paced worriedly.

"With a bad storm coming, we could be locked in, we might not be able to hunt or fish for months," Stoick continued to pace with a deep frown on his features.

"But it's way too early for a storm," Hicca noted. "We're in the middle of winter, devastating winter isn't for another month."

"Not according to Gothi," Stoick stated firmly.

"But what am I supposed to do? I can't control the weather," Hicca said as she stepped forward. She was honestly wondering why her father had wanted to see her, if there was nothing she could do to help.

"No," her father agreed. "But you can control dragons. If they don't stop scaring the animals, we won't have any provisions to live on."

Before Hicca could ask what he meant, the front door to the haddock household opened, and Mulch and Bucket entered. They had been trying to get the animals to provide ever since Stoick left, but there was still no luck.

Stoick frowned and turned back to Hicca. She shrunk back under his gaze, "But it's not like the dragons are trying to be scary. I mean, they don't even eat farm animals, they eat fish."

"True. But they're huge, they breath fire, and now that we've made peace with them, they're everywhere. The animals are terrified of them," Gobber argued.

Stoick stepped closer to Hicca and gave her another firm look, this is the point where he expected her to do something to fix this.

Hicca gave a sigh, "Okay, but how long do I have before the storm hits?"

"About a week," Mulch spoke up.

Hicca nodded in relief, "No problem, more than enough time."

But just as Hicca was feeling confident, Bucket gave another cry, his bucket tightening once more.

Mulch gave a pained wince, "Correction, three days and six hours."

And Hicca was back to feeling nervous, "Okay... less time, might be more of a problem."

Hicca thought hard for a moment. She had to help the farm animals not be afraid of the dragons, so the first thing she needed, was some dragons, and some animals.

She turned to the two men standing near the doorway, "Bucket, Mulch, I'm going to need to borrow some of your farm animals."

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, there was already a large dark cloud hovering over Berk. The seas were getting rougher, and the wind was picking up.

At the Dragon Academy, Hicca had managed to bring some yaks, sheep, and chickens into the arena, and the other dragons were standing ready. But it was hard enough just to get the animals to come near the dragons. Hicca and Arvid tried reassuring one of the yaks, but once the dragons started roaring at each other and snapping their large teeth, the yaks ran away to the other side of the ring.

Fishlegs even tried to see the dragons from the sheep's perspective, trying to convince them that there was nothing to be afraid of. But Hookfang was much different to Meatlug, as soon as the dragon opened its maw and roared at Fishlegs from above, the blond ran for cover.

"Sorry, but I'm siding with the sheep on this one," Fishlegs said as he cowered underneath Meatlug.

Hicca stood near the sheep, trying to keep the lamb from wondering off, "Look, I've learnt that once you've had a positive experience from something you're afraid of, it isn't so scary anymore." As Hicca spoke, she herded the sheep closer to the Nightmare, just close enough so that he was sniffing at them. "That's what we'll have to do with these animals. We need to prove to them that they have nothing to be-"

Hicca was forced to stop her sentence as Hookfang gave a sudden sneeze, sending out a stream of fire and igniting the poor lamb's tail.

Ok, that wasn't a good start.

/LINE BREAK/

On the second day, the grey clouds were turning darker, and the wind was growing stronger with a biting chill. The animals were running around all over the Academy, getting under the riders feet and bumping into everything.

Hicca tried to keep things under control, but trying to control a heard of farm animals and two dragons, it was a little much.

The next thing they tried, was showing that the dragons were afraid of things too, just like the farm animals. So Hicca help up two eels in front of Stormfly and Hookfang, making them flinch and scurry backwards away from the slippery sea snake. At first it looked like it was working. But then the Monstrous Nightmare had spun around to try and get away, and swung its tail into one of the sheep, sending it flying through the air.

Hicca was really starting to get stressed now, they were running out of time.

The storm was going to hit tomorrow at midday.

/LINE BREAK/

On the day of the storm, all of the villagers were moving their supplies into the great hall. Stoick stood at the top of the steps, ordering everyone inside and making sure all of the villagers were accounted for.

Bucket was in so much pain by this point, he couldn't even walk, which forced Mulch to pull him up the steps in a wheelbarrow. Thunder boomed over head and lightning struck the ocean not far away, the teens were out of time.

"Mulch, I'll take care of Bucket. You and Gobber go find the kids and bring them here," Stoick stepped forward and took over the wheelbarrow carrying a whimpering Bucket. While Gobber and Mulch made their way back down the steps.

They arrived at the arena just in time to see another failed attempt by the teens, this one involving an exploding egg.

"Everybody out! The storm is here!" Gobber yelled.

"Wait, we haven't made any progress with the animals," Hicca called out, just as snow started to fall.

But Gobber mostly ignored her. Right now, what mattered most was getting the teens to safety, "Your father wants everyone at the great hall."

"Take the others, I need to stay and keep working with the animals. They're still afraid," Hicca had to keep trying, she just had to.

But Gobber was having none of it, "You can't get eggs from a frozen chicken, we've got to get the animals to the barn."

Hicca reluctantly agreed, and helped to herd the animals out of the arena.

But by the time they made it to the barn, they saw just how much damage the storm had done already. There was ice and snow covering the walls, freezing the windmill in place, and freezing the doors shut. The barn was no longer an option.

But where else could the animals go?

"To the great hall!" Hicca ordered.

"What? So we're going to have the animals and dragons under the same roof? We know that won't work," Mulch pointed out.

"We have no choice," Hicca called out again, her voice firm. "Let's go."

But the trek to the Great Hall from the barn was long, herding the animals such a distance was already difficult, without having a snow storm blowing in on top of that. But the teens did their best, with the dragons helping to lead the way, they were making steady progress.

At least, until lightning struck a nearby tree.

The tree fell in front of Stormfly, making her jump back in surprise, and in turn, hitting Hookfang with her tail. The Nightmare burst into flames and spooked the animals once more, sending them all running in different directions. The teens tried to catch them, but the farm animals gave them the slip.

Hicca turned and quickly mounted Toothless, she had to get those animals back, they were her responsibility.

"Where are you going?" Gobber called out to her.

"I'm going after them!"

"Forget it Hicca, we'll never get them rounded up in this storm!" Gobber yelled. He knew Stoick would kill him if he didn't get Hicca to the hall safely.

But Hicca was stubborn, "With Toothless I can. I have to try, if I don't, we'll starve to death."

Gobber raced forward to stop her, but Hicca shot into the air before he could reach her, "Sorry Gobber!"

"Hicca! Come back here!" Gobber yelled after her, but it was no use. He turned to the blond boy standing near him, "Arvid will you please talk some sense into her- No, no, no! Not you too!"

Again, Gobber was left standing there as Arvid mounted his dragon and took off after his somewhat girlfriend. He was soon followed by the other riders.

"Get back here all of you!"

/LINE BREAK/

At the Great Hall, the villagers were all gathered around the fire pits trying to keep warm. The wind was howling outside but thankfully, they were safe inside the mountain. But a sudden gust of wind blew in through the door, forcing them open.

"Move those tables up against the doors!" Stoick ordered. It would be enough to stop the wind, but they would still be able to move them and let the teens in when they finally arrived. A worried look crossed over Stoick's face, they should be here by now.

As if on cue, the doors bust open once more and Gobber shoved his way inside. He spotted Stoick and ran over to him, "Stoick! The barns been destroyed! The animals have scattered!"

"Where's Hicca and the others?" Stoick asked. The teens were more important than the animal right now.

"I tried to stop them Stoick, but they went after the animals," Gobber confessed, still feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to stop them.

Stoick's face hardened. He wasn't angry at Gobber, there was no stopping Hicca when she was determined to do something, the other teens were loyal to her and would always follow her lead. Stoick took a deep breath and marched towards the doors, soon followed by Gobber, they were going to bring the teens back safely.

/LINE BREAK/

As they flew through the heavy snow storm, Toothless shot out a plasma blast to light their way. He and Hicca took the lead, followed by the other dragon riders as they tried to spot the missing animals.

"Find as many as you can! We'll herd them back to the great hall!" Hicca yelled to them, trying to be heard over the rushing wind.

As they flew higher, they were able to spot the runaway animals. But herding them was another story entirely. Instead of following them, the animals ran in the other direction, still terrified of the dragons. It also didn't help that Hookfang was flying around wildly, clearly not listening to Snotlout.

From higher up, Arvid spotted some stray sheep trying to climb a steep hill. He pointed them out to Hicca and carried on chasing the larger group.

As Toothless and Hicca flew closer to the stray sheep, the lamb slipped on a patch of ice, and fell over the side. Thankfully it wasn't a sheer drop, but the lamb hit the snow back and kept sliding, heading straight for the cliff.

Just as the lamb fell over the edge, Toothless caught it in his paws. He and Hicca flew the lamb back up the cliff and placed it down onto solid ground. But things were still not looking good for the other riders.

"Hicca!" Arvid yelled out to her, "The storm is getting worse, I can't see anything!"

Hicca agreed and looked down at Toothless, "Come on bud, give us some light."

Toothless fired off another plasma blast, once more lighting up the area with a blue flare. In the blue light, Hicca spotted two shadowy figures with large horns. "Stray yaks, twelve o'clock!" She yelled back to the others.

"I see them!" Tuffnut yelled back. "And they're huge!" Barf and Belch swooped down on to the yaks, grabbing them in their talons and lifting them off the ground before they even realised what happened. "I got the yaks!" Tuffnut called triumphantly.

But the twin's triumph was soon halted when they heard the yaks speak, and strangely enough, it sounded a lot like the chief. "Put me down! Right now!"

The teens turned and looked down at the yak, soon realising that it wasn't two yaks they'd picked up, but actually Stoick and Gobber. Ruffnut and Tuffnut quickly ordered their dragon to let them go, allowing them to land on solid ground.

The rest of the teens soon landed around them. Hicca dismounted from Toothless and started walking towards her father, already feeling that she was in trouble.

"You shouldn't be out here Hicca!" Stoick yelled over the storm sounding more worried than angry.

"Dad, I'm sorry I let you down," Hicca apologised. She had tried her best to help the animals and get them back safely, but she had failed.

Stoick stepped closer, "It's not your fault. Now come on, we're taking you back."

"Which way?" Gobber asked.

"Follow our tracks," Stoick said pointing in the direction they'd come. But there were no tracks, not in any direction. The snow was coming down so thick and fast, that it had hidden away their footprints.

"So much for that idea," Gobber grumbled.

The storm was only getting worse, but they had no way of getting back. They were lost out there in the storm. Stoick and Gobber looked around at the shivering teens, they had been out in the cold for far too long, if they didn't do something, they were going to get sick... or worse. Gobber and Stoick brought the teens closer together, forming them into a circle while they stood on the outside and shielded them as best they could.

The cold was also starting to get to the dragons as well, making their eyes and muscles grow heavy. But as Toothless's head started to droop, he caught sight of Hicca and the others, all huddled together and shivering. He had to do something.

His instincts kicked in again, and he roared to the others, stopping them from falling asleep. Then they all moved into position. All at once, they huddled around the humans and spread their wings wide, acting like huge wind breakers.

"What are they doing?" Stoick asked as he looked around them.

"It's their natural instincts," Arvid spoke up quietly, sharing a look with Hicca.

While circled around their riders, Hookfang, Stormfly and Meatlug took it in turn to breathe their fire into the circle, scorching the ground underneath and allowing the humans to feel the warmth. But then, Toothless heard something behind him, a quiet bleating sound. He perked his ears up and looked over his shoulder, spotting the small family of sheep not far away, they were also huddled together trying to keep warm.

Toothless rushed over to then, unfortunately the parents ran in fear, but the lamb stayed where it was. After Toothless had save its life, it didn't seem so afraid anymore.

Toothless gurgled gentle and gave the lamb a nudge forward, towards the warm and welcoming fire. The tiny lamb still looked a little unsure at first, but soon found its way into the embrace of the dragons. It bleated for the rest of the farm animals, and slowly, they also joined them inside the warm circle of dragons. The yaks, sheep and chickens all made themselves comfortable in amongst the dragons, and the small lamb even found a spot to rest in front of Toothless.

Stoick gave a proud smile and placed a hand on Hicca's shoulder, "Your dragons really are something, Hicca."

"Yeah, they are," She agreed.

/LINE BREAK/

By the time morning came, the storm had finally stopped for now.

The snow lay thick and unblemished on the ground, and the wind had died down to only a gently breeze. As the heat from the rising sun shone down on them, the dragons stirred awake and let the snow fall from their backs.

They helped their humans carry the farm animal back to the great hall, allowing everyone to see that they were alright, and that the dragons were no longer a problem for the animals. The storm would be back tonight, but for now, the villagers could rest a little easier knowing that the dragons weren't a problem for the animals anymore.

 _We made our peace with the dragons when we saw that we could trust them. Turns out they actually have instincts to protect us, all of us. Life on Berk, just got a little warmer._

End of episode 3.

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 **I think this is actually one of my least favourite episodes, but it was still fun to write, especially the scene with Hicca and Arvid ;)**

 **So let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	4. Terrible Twos

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 4 here and the forth episode of the first season :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 04**

 **Terrible Twos**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

/

/

/

 _When you're riding a dragon, communication is key. You almost have to read each other's minds. And you're got to have an open mind. Because sometimes, your dragon knows better than you_

In the early morning, just after sunrise, Hicca was directing the other riders through the forest.

"Low-Level evasive manoeuvres!" She called back to the others. It was something new she wanted the others to try, letting their dragons lead as they weaved in, out and around the trees in the dense forest. The other's needed to learn how to put their full trust in their dragons.

So far, it was going about as well as Hicca expected.

"Hey! What are you doing!? Ahhh! Are you trying to kill me!?" Snotlouts pained and angry voice rang out.

Hookfang was much larger than the other dragons, so admittedly it was hard for him to be agile among the tightly-knit trees. But Hookfang seemed to be going out of his way to make sure Snotlout's face hit every branch possible. When the Nightmare finally flew above the tree line, his rider's face was covered in scratched, with leaves sticking out of his mouth and hair.

"We gotta go back! I think you missed a branch!" Snotlout grumbled sarcastically.

But his dragon took it as a challenge, and was more than happy to circle around and fly through the trees again. Possibly making sure that Snotlout hit even more branches than the first time around.

Arvid was doing much better in comparison to Snotlout. Stormfly was slightly larger than Toothless, but she was just as agile. Just ahead of them, Arvid spotted two fallen trees. "Stormfly, up!" He ordered.

But the Nadder was apparently better at judging size than Arvid, she knew she could make it through the gap. So to prove her point, she lurched her body upward, and threw Arvid off her back. The blond cried out as he sailed through the air and over the blockage, while Stormfly easily swooped down and in between the fallen trees, catching Arvid on the other side.

"Okay, you were right, it was down." Arvid took a deep breath, his heat racing from the unexpected jump. "I almost died," he muttered to himself.

"Almost died? I would've died!" Snotlout called in annoyance as he flew alongside them. He looked dishevelled at best, twigs were sticking out of his hair and nose, and there were leaves stuck to his face and in his mouth.

"That's a good look for you," Arvid commented with a smirk. Snotlout glared in return and attempted to hurl sticks at the blond.

Then Hicca realised something. She watched Snotlout glare at Arvid, and she spotted the twins flying low behind her. Ruffnut and Tuffnut weren't really paying attention, just arguing with each other while they're dragons flew just above the tree line. "Has anyone seen Fishlegs?"

Tuffnut looked up at her, "I saw him yesterday. Dose that count?"

Hicca frowned, she hadn't seen Fishlegs since they entered the forest. She tugged on Toothless's reins and flew him back where they come, trying to spot the larger blond and his Gronckle from above.

She eventually found a path of broken branches and followed it to find Fishlegs stuck in a tree, with Meatlug in a similar position nearby. Hicca landed near to him, "There you are, Fishlegs. Are you okay?"

Fishlegs looked down at Hicca from his spot in the tree, his upper body hanging over one side of the branch, and his lower half dangling on the other side. "I'm fine. Just... hanging out. It's not like I crashed or anything," He gave a nervous laugh. But Hicca just put her hands or her hips and gave him a look. Fishlegs gave a sigh, "Okay... I crashed. There, I said it."

Hicca and Toothless circled round behind Fishlegs, trying to assess the damage. With Fishlegs' size and how firmly he seemed to be stuck, there was no way someone of her size would be able to pull him free. But Toothless on the other hand... "Yeah, you look pretty stuck. I think I know how to get you down, but you have to stay perfectly still." Hicca told him.

Fishlegs twitched slightly, "Why? What are you going to do?" Not being able to see Hicca made him feel even more nervous.

"Go easy on him, bud," Hicca whispered to Toothless.

Toothless let out his lightest plasma blast possible, it struck Fishlegs on the backside and shoved him up and over the branch. Toothless raced forward and caught the large boy before he hit the ground, his dignity a little bruised, but mostly alright.

"Thank you," He muttered as he got off Toothless's back.

Hicca turned to Fishlegs as he walked over to her, "Now, what are we going to do about Meat-" She was interrupted when a loud crack sounded, followed by a heavy thud behind them. Well, that solved that problem.

"Can you not tell the others that Meatlug broke the trees? She sensitive about her weight," Fishlegs looked at Hicca pleadingly as he hugged his dragon to comfort her.

Hicca nodded with a small smile. "How did this happen?" She asked, it was strange for Meatlug to crash, she was usually so careful.

"I don't know!" Fishlegs answered. "We were just flying along, taking notes on the flora and fauna... typical guy stuff... And something weird jumped out of the bushes. It was like a... l-like a flaming squirrel."

Hicca raised an eyebrow at him and folder her arms, "Really? A flaming squirrel?"

"Or a chipmunk... Or some other... flammable rodent. I don't know, it scared us!" Fishlegs finished as he got back onto Meatlug, he didn't want to stay in the forest a moment longer.

Hicca shook her hair as she watched him fly back to the academy. She turned and gave Toothless a quizzical look, "Did you hear that bud? A flaming squirrel." She mounted Toothless and the two of them took off, "Everyone knows there's no such thing as a-"

But once again Hicca was cut off. This time by something small, fast and fiery whizzing in front of them. Ferret

"Flaming squirrel!" Hicca screamed as Toothless tumbled forward, obviously started by whatever that was. Hicca was thrown from Toothless and rolled to a stop, thankfully she and Toothless were unharmed.

She looked up quickly, trying to see what had flown by them. "Whoa! You saw that right?" She asked Toothless. The Night Fury just gave a warble and shook his head.

Hicca pulled the leaves out of her hair and slowly looked over a smouldering log, whatever had flown passed them had clearly hit the log hard enough to leave an impact. A little distance away, amongst a pile of large rocks, Hicca spotted something small and orange. There was a tiny dragon hiding in the rocks.

She circled round and slowly edged her way closer to the hidden dragon, once she could hear his high squeaks and gurgles, she slowly leaned down near the small entrance. "Hey, little guy." She said in her gentlest tone, "Where did you come from?"

Hicca reached out her hand slowly to stroke the little dragon, but he growled at her, and suddenly snapped it teeth at her. Hicca quickly pulled her hand back, "Whoa, settle down, big fella!"Hicca couldn't help but give a slight giggle as she turned to look at Toothless, "I've never seen anything like him."

But Toothless seemed on edge, he back away from the much smaller dragon growling menacingly. "You not helping," she told him in her best mothering tone.

Hicca stood and thought for a moment, she never seen anything in the book of dragons that matched this little guy. He was barely bigger than a Terrible Terror, with his body being mostly orange with a white head and two large grey horns, he had large wings for such a little dragon, almost like a Timberjack. He had bits and pieces of other dragons she'd read about, but she'd never seen anything like him before.

"You know... I think we may have discovered a new species here!" Hicca said excitedly. But Toothless suddenly slinked around her, pulling her away from the rocks. "Whoa, hey, Toothless!" Hicca tried to get Toothless under control as he made her stumbled back. "What's gotten into you?" She pushed on the Night Fury's snout and looked back at the small dragons. He was whining and had pushed himself right to the back of the tiny rock cave.

"It looks like he's injured," she noted. Hicca reached into her pocket, and pulled out some of the Dragon Nip she kept in there, she then kneeled down in front of the rocks. "Don't be afraid, I'm a friend," the dragon growled at her again and snapped it's jaws. Hicca offered out the grass, "Here. It's okay. It's just a little Dragon Nip."

But just as the small dragon sniffed at the grass and started to come out of hiding, Toothless growled and roared at it. The dragon shrank back in fear and jumped at Hicca for protection, nuzzling her chest and shaking in her arms. "Come on, play nice," she scolded Toothless.

But the little dragon apparently didn't feel safe enough with Hicca holding him. So he lay himself closer against Hicca's chest, wrapping his wings around her shoulders. But as he did so, one of his talons scratched at Hicca's arm, "Ow! Little dragon, big claws!" Hicca made a mental note to watch out for those.

/LINE BREAK/

When Hicca, Toothless and the new dragon all arrived at the academy, the others were all excited to see the new species.

"This is so exciting! It's a whole new species!" Fishlegs jumped from you foot to the other, far too thrilled to just stay still.

But Tuffnut just looked at the small dragon with a frown, "Doesn't look like a flaming squirrel to me." The male twin seemed almost bored, like maybe a flaming squirrel would have been more interesting than a new dragon.

"We have no idea what it's capable of!" Fishlegs continued.

A smirk w on Tuffnut face, he knelt in front of the new dragon. "Flame! Do it!" He ordered, getting right in the small dragon's face.

But apparently, the new dragon didn't like being told what to do. In an instant, he jumped at Tuffnut and latched onto his face, nipping at his nose and tugging on his long blond hair. But as soon as Ruffnut started laughing as her brother's misfortune, the dragon jumped on her and started doing the exact same to her.

Hicca gave a sigh and stepped forward, as the dragon jumped off of Ruffnut, he landed on the ground and jumped back into Hicca's arms, nuzzling close to her. "Come on guys, this is serious! We have to figure out what to do with him. He's hurt."

Tuffnut gave a glare and rubbed his bruised nose, "He's hurt?"

Hicca gave him an apologetic look, "He's just really scared, he'll settle down."

"Um, new species, remember? We actually don't know what he'll do," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Well, somebody's got to take him home," Arvid spoke up.

But as his words hung in the air, the teens all gave each other a look. Then all at once, they all took a step away from Hicca, leaving her standing in the middle of the group, holding the new dragon.

Okay then, it looked like she was going to be the one to take him home.

/LINE BREAK/

But when Hicca arrived home that night, her father was not happy to see her accompanied by two dragons.

"No, no, no! He's not staying here. I've got a one-dragon limit!" Stoick stated firmly.

"Oh, come on! He's not a very big dragon, think of him more like... a flaming squirrel." Hicca looked up at her father with wide eyes. But Stoick wasn't budging.

"Don't want one of those either." As Stoick spoke, he picked up a large armful of wood and set in down in the fire pit, then he looked at Toothless expectantly. "Toothless, what are you waiting for?"

Toothless did as he was asked, he turned and readied a plasma blast to light the fire pit. But he was beaten to the fire. As the new dragon sat on the table in front of Hicca, he suddenly spat out a surprisingly big shot of fire, igniting the fire pit and forcing Toothless to swallow his would be shot.

The night fury looked rather insulted, while Stoick gave an amused chuckle. "Looks like you got torched," he commented as he stepped closer to Hicca. "That's his name by the way, Torch."

Hicca gave a large smile, she liked the new name. "So, he can stay?"

"Well, we can't throw him out now, I just named him!" In all honesty, Stoick had been planning on letting the small dragon stay ever since Hicca first gave him the large puppy eyed look. But he at least had to pretend to be tough.

/LINE BREAK/

But that night, Toothless was still acting strangely. Every time Hicca turned around, the larger dragon was glaring or growling at Torch, or both. She honestly didn't know why Toothless was being so hostile to the poor little guy.

But Toothless wasn't being unkind for no go reason. From the second he saw the little dragon, he didn't trust him. The tiny dragon nuzzled up to Hicca's father, stole his food, stole his bed, and was even trying to steal his human.

That was not going to happen.

But for now, Toothless was sleeping in the rafters, out of reach of the little monster, and where he could keep a close eye on Hicca. He didn't like being kicked out of his bed, but what he hated more was Hicca being annoyed at him, that really hurt.

Toothless fell into a fitful sleep that night.

Only to be awoken a few hours later.

His ears twitched as her heard something in the distance, and he quickly looked around the room. The unwanted house guest was still sleeping on his bed, and Hicca was sleeping soundly. Toothless perked up his ears a listened again, the distant call sounded like a dragon's roar, but all of the dragon's living on Berk should be asleep right now. The Night Fury silently and swiftly jumped down from the rafters and jumped out of the window, he had to investigate.

He ran a little distance towards the nearby cliff and stood near the edge, looking out over the village, then towards the forest. In the dark of the night, he spotted a faint red glow against the dark blues and greens of the forest, then he heard the faint roar again.

There was a dragon in that forest, and it was either in trouble, or it was causing it.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, as the teens gathered at the Academy, Toothless stayed outside and sat atop a high ledge on the cliff, watching over the forest and waiting... What for? He wasn't sure yet.

Hicca brought Torch into the Academy and set him down on a table in front of the other, "Alright, Torch. Let's figure out what you are."

"This is so exiting!" Fishlegs was practically jumping around where he stood, it seemed that his excitement from yesterday hadn't diminished at all. "Documenting a whole new species, and learning all about it!"

"Wait, learning?" Tuffnut asked almost fearfully.

"No thanks," Ruffnut finished.

Hicca picked up the book and flicked through the pages, "There's nothing in the Book of Dragons that looks anything like him."

"We even get to determine what its call." Fishlegs pointed out. "That is... That is a really big responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready for that."

"I am! I'm gonna name the snot out of it!" Snotlout jumped into the conversation, clearly eager to name Torch some strange name he deemed cool.

Hicca chose to ignore him, and instead handed a long piece of leather to Arvid to measure Torch's wingspan. The blond held the marked piece of leather against Torch's back, while the small dragons spread his wings to be measured.

"20 inches for the wings," Arvid noted as he counted the marks.

"That's a big wing-span," Hicca commented.

"Big Wing! Big Span! Big-Wing-Span!" Snotlout suddenly shouted. Hicca assumed he was coming up with possible names for Torch's species, but she just continued to ignore him. She had actually gotten quite adept at ignoring her cousin over the years.

"May I have the honour of administering the claw-test?" Fishlegs asked very officially, as he held up a piece of parchment paper for the next test. He held the paper in front of Torch, the small dragon looked confused at first, then he lashed out. His sharp talons sliced through the paper as if it wasn't even there. "Look at those Talons, they're razor-like," Fishlegs commented in awe.

Hicca nodded, she had firsthand experience with those talons, there was still a slight mark on her arm. In the background, she was vaguely aware of Snotlout spouting off more ridiculous names for Torch's species.

Hicca's thoughts were interrupted when Fishlegs crept closer to her. "You know what's next, don't you?"

Uh... No... Not really." Hicca edged away slightly, she wasn't really comfortable with just how close Fishlegs was getting to her, he had a strange, almost crazed look in his eyes.

"Only the single most important test to determine a dragon's reaction to eels... the Eel-Reaction-Test!" He had clearly made that up on the spot.

It seemed straight forward enough, hold an eel up in front of Torch and see if he just backs up slightly, or runs away completely.

But to everyone's surprise. Torch sniffed at the eel, and then gobbled in down.

"He ate it! He ate the eel!" Fishlegs jumped around even more than before.

"Fishlegs, has there ever been a Dragon who wasn't afraid of-" Hicca started, but Fishlegs know what she was asking.

"Never in recorded history. We're in unchartered waters, my friend," Fishlegs said dramatically.

Hicca stepped closer and stroked the small dragon's head, "You hear that Torch? You're one of a kind."

"Now we need to get him to fly," Fishlegs said.

Hicca thought for a moment, "Maybe if he saw Toothless fly?" She looked up through the chain link dome roof of the academy. The night fury was still sitting still as a statue on the cliff, he hadn't moved since they'd arrived. "Toothless! Let's take a ride, bud!" She called up to him. But aside from a slight ear twitch and a glance in her direction, Toothless kept looking out over the forest.

Hicca frowned, it was strange for Toothless to turn down a chance to go flying.

But Snotlout found it very amusing, "So much for the dragon trainer. We've got this." Snotlout strode up to Hookfang confidently and got onto the saddle, "Watch and learn."

But when Hookfang noticed the smaller dragon watching him, he also felt the need to show off. This didn't bode well for Snotlout. Once again, The brunet was forced to hang on for dear life as the Nightmare flew out of the Academy and high into the sky at neck breaking speed, spinning and whizzing through the sky like an arrow. The only time he slowed down was when he landed back at the academy.

Snotlout was leaning heavily on his dragon's horns, his heart hammering in his chest, trying not to let his voice shake too much. "Okay... your turn... Don't think you have to live up to that," He added quickly.

The others watched as Torch jumped off the table and started trudging around in a circle.

"What's he doing?" Ruffnut asked.

"I think something's wrong," Arvid answered as he watched the small dragon, flicking his short hair out of his eye to get a better look.

"Maybe he can't fly," Hicca wondered aloud.

But just as she was about to pick him up again, Torch started circling faster, sparks started to fizz from his mouth. As he picked up speed more and more, the sparks started to grow more and more intense, like tiny rockets to help lift him off the ground. As he took off, Torch rose into the air and continued his circular motion, then he started spiralling. The circles he flew in, started to get bigger and bigger, until Torch was shooting around the Academy. Then the circles grew tight again, and Torch's sparks lessened. Until finally he landed gently back on solid ground.

He wondered over to Hicca and jumped back into her arms. "You... are one incredible little dragon," she said, still a little in awe of Torch's flying technique.

"Whoa... look at that burn mark," Ruffnut pointed to the stone floor. In the spot where Torch had taken off from, there was now a black, spiral scorch mark left behind by the small dragon's flames.

Fishlegs made a decision then, he finally had a name for Torch's species.

"Typhoomerang."

/LINE BREAK/

That night, Hicca sat at her desk in her room. She held a charcoal pencil in hand, with the Book of Dragons on her desk, opened at a blank page. Torch was on the ground next to her bed, playing with the helmet that her father had given her. It was very important to her, but she kept a close eye on Torch to make sure nothing happened to it.

"Okay, Torch. Hold still. I'm trying to draw you. You're getting your own chapter," Hicca told him with a small laugh. Now that they finally had a name For Torch's species, it was Hicca's job to add everything they'd learned about him into the book.

Meanwhile Toothless had perched himself on the roof of the Haddock household, like a stone statue, he was the protector of this house, and more importantly, the people inside it. But as he listened sadly to Hicca playing with Torch in her room, he heard another familiar sound.

That distant roar from the forest, and once more, there was an ominous orange glow amongst the trees. Toothless jumped towards the hatch in Hicca's roof and clambered into her room, he had to try and warn her. But as he raced towards her, he started Hicca out of her chair. Her charcoal pencil clattered to the floor and broke on impact.

"Toothless, look what you did," Hicca scolded, she picked up the remains of her pencil and examined the piece of charcoal. Unfortunately, the remaining pieces where all too small, she wouldn't be able to use them anymore.

"And now I've got to get more charcoal," Hicca grumbled as she turned to her dragon. "Toothless, you behave yourself while I'm gone."

With that, she made her way downstairs, thankfully they kept a small box of materials under the stairs. Hopefully, she could find another big stick of charcoal there.

But just as Hicca reached the bottom of the stairs, a loud commotion sounded from above. Thumps and bangs sounded, forcing Hicca to abandon her search and race back up the stairs again to check on the two dragons. Why could they not just get along?

The scene that greeted her back in her room, was one of burning floorboards, and a terrified Torch being chased by Toothless. Hicca quickly ran over to her bed and yanked off the blanket, using it to beat out the flames.

Thankfully, the fire was easy to put out. As soon as Hicca was able to take a second to catch her breath, a shaking Torch jumped into her arms.

"Wh-What is going on here? Toothless, what is wrong with you?" Hicca didn't want to sound angry, she just wanted to understand. She was worried for her best friend, he just wasn't acting like himself, and for some reason he kept bullying Torch.

But before Hicca could try and understand, Toothless gave a roar and jumped out of the window. Leaving Hicca alone with Torch, still trying to figure out what was wrong. Torch wriggled in her arms, "It's okay, big guy. He's starting to worry me too." Hicca stroked Torch's head but kept her eyes on the hatch in her roof.

Unbeknownst to Hicca. That night, Toothless finally saw the monster whose roars he'd been hearing the last few nights.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, Hicca felt she had to talk to someone about this. So she went to see Gobber.

"It's weird. It's like Toothless is jealous." Hicca paused for a second before continuing, "Which is great, so... my first boyfriend is a dragon."

Gobber gave a chuckle, "Don't let Stoick or Arvid hear you say that." The blacksmith turned back to the hearth and started hammering away, "Dragons are complex creatures, Hicca. They operate on many emotional levels. Me? I've only got the one."

Just then, Toothless came rushing towards the shop, roaring to grab Hicca and Gobber's attention. But no matter how hard he tried to convey his message to the humans, they just couldn't understand him.

"You see? This is what I've been talking about," Hicca told Gobber. Toothless roared louder in frustration, his wings beating and almost knocking things over, "Toothless, settle down."

Torch didn't help the situation. His wriggled in Hicca's arms until she let him go, then scuttled in front of Toothless. The Night Fury took the opportunity, and grabbed Torch by the scruff of his neck, trying to run away with him.

"Gobber! Grab him!" Hicca yelled to Gobber, knowing her old mentor would be much more adept at catching the dragon.

Gobber jumped in front of Toothless, "You want to dance, big boy? 'Cause I've got my dancing shoe on!"

Thankfully, Torch was able to wriggle and spark his way free. Toothless tried to snatch him again, but Gobber jumped forward and grabbed Toothless's tail.

But Toothless wasn't slowed down by the extra weight. He chased after Torch all the way through the shop, dragging poor Gobber along after him. The larger dragon ran through the shop, smashing and shoving objects and shelves out of his way. Gobber's short ride finally came to a halt when he was slammed head first into the desk near the front window, causing Hicca to wince at the loud sound that came from Gobber's head hitting solid wood.

Thankfully, Gobber was hard-headed, in more ways than one.

Hicca saw Torch was still being chased and quickly jumped over her mentor and ran outside.

Torch spotted her and ran over, hiding and shaking behind Hicca's legs, Toothless finally coming to a halt in front of his human.

"Toothless! Back down!" Hicca ordered. She'd never had to use such a stern voice before, she still didn't know why Toothless was acting weird, but she'd had enough. She glared at Toothless and he glared back, he letting out a small growl but Hicca stood firm, despite Gobber playing his panpipes in the background.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't like it," Hicca said firmly. Toothless gave a small whine and ran off again. This was getting out of hand, Hicca would have to do something drastic.

/LINE BREAK/

Just before sunset, when Toothless finally arrived home, Hicca took him out for a flight. It was just too dangerous for him to be around Torch anymore, so Hicca was taking him back to their cove. True, Toothless had escaped from there before, but hopefully this would at least give him time to think about what he'd done, hopefully he'd stop acting so strange after a day or two.

But before they could get to the cove, Toothless was still trying his best to tell Hicca what he had seen. Instead of doing as Hicca asked and flying towards the cove, Toothless flew towards the deeper part of the forest, trying to get to the spot where he had seen the other dragon the night before. If he could just get Hicca there and show her the scorch mark the dragon had left, then she'd understand.

"Toothless! Where are you going?" Hicca shouted from Toothless's back. She frowned and pushed her metal leg forward, forcing his artificial leg into a turning position. "No, you're going to the cove."

The dragon gave a whine as he was forced to fly in the other direction, they were so close, and yet so far.

When Toothless begrudgingly landed, Hicca dismounted and stood in front of him. "Okay, you've got to stay here. I never thought bringing Torch home would lead to this. I've got to separate you two until I figure this out." Hicca spoke firmly, but there was also sadness in her tone, she hated the thought of just leaving Toothless here.

Toothless gave a whine in response, looking up at his human with sad eyes. Hicca had to leave, otherwise she knew she was going to give into those large sad eyes. But when she turned to try and leave, Toothless jumped in front of her. Hicca rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. She started walking again, ready for Toothless to jump in front once more, then she quickly back peddled. Clambering up the stone wall and out of the cove, throwing him a small apologetic look as she did so.

When Hicca returned home, she went straight to bed. But she couldn't sleep.

She just lay there thinking about how she had effectively abandoned her best friend. It may have been for the best, but that didn't stop her from feeling guilty.

At the same time, Toothless was trying to sleep at the cove. But he was having the same problem.

He should have handled the situation better, but he hadn't been thinking. All he wanted was to get that annoying rat sized dragon away from his human and back where he belonged, how was that so difficult?

But then, Toothless's thoughts were interrupted by a roar, just like all the previous nights, but this time it was much closer.

/LINE BREAK/

It felt weir walking to the academy the next morning, but Hicca really didn't have another choice.

"You did the right thing with Toothless," Arvid said comfortingly as he sat on top of Stormfly. "He'll snap out of it."

Hicca just nodded silently as she held Torch. But as always, Snotlout had to speak up.

"But what if he doesn't? Then you won't have a dragon to ride, and if you don't have a dragon to ride... then you can't be the leader of the Dragon Academy." Snotlout smirked at the thought, apparently he assumed that he would take over if Hicca couldn't.

"Yeah, then I'd take over," Arvid said glaring a Snotlout. "Do you really want that?"

Snotlout visibly paled at the thought of Arvid in charge. Hicca was a little boring at times, but Arvid... his lessons were terrifying.

Hicca wasn't really paying attention to the talking going on behind her, she was too concerned over Toothless. She just continued to stroke Torch's head, and waited for the others to arrive so they could find out more about the Typhoomerang.

As the thought crossed her mind, she heard the sound of dragon wings flapping. She looked up to see Barf and Belch swoop into the Academy.

"You guys will not believe what we just saw," Tuffnut said as Barf and Belch landed. "The whole forest; ultimate destruction."

"It was beautiful," Ruffnut said with a dreamy look on her face. "The whole thing was torched."

Ruffnut's choice of words was coincidental, but they did get Hicca thinking.

"Torched?" Hicca looked down at the little dragon in her arms. Then she turned back to the twins, "Show me."

/LINE BREAK/

The teens mounted their dragons and followed the twins towards the forest, Hicca riding on Stormfly while holding onto Arvid from behind, Torch sitting on her lap the entire time. When they arrived, they saw a giant spiral burn mark on the forest floor, and it was very familiar.

"Like we said; ultimate destruction," Ruffnut pointed out, she and her brother still admiring the mark.

The other teens dismounted and moved closer to the mark, thankfully there was only a faint smell of singed grass now. "We've seen that burn mark before," Hicca said, a worried look on her face, and the others soon figured out why.

"But not this big," Arvid added, his fingers already twitch. Like he could sense something was about to happen, and he was fully prepared to draw his axe ready.

"You know what this means," Fishlegs started shakily. "Big burn mark-"

A roar sounded in the distance, causing Fishlegs to forget his words.

So Hicca finished it for him, "Big Typhoomerang."

They all looked up towards the sky. Circling in the air, not far away, was another Typhoomerang. But this one was big, with the same marking as Torch, but in a bright red colour. And if it's roars and fiery breath were anything to go by, it was angry.

"He looks really mad," Tuffnut pointed out, his voice a mix of fear and slight excitement.

Hicca looked down at the Torch, the smaller dragon didn't seem to realise the situation at all, but she now understood. This is what Toothless had been trying to warn her about all this time, "It's not a he, it's a she. That's Torch's mother."

"Torch is a baby," Arvid realised, causing the others all turned to Torch. The small dragon had climbed up Fishlegs' back, and perked his head over his shoulder, clearly curious as to why his name was being said so often.

The large blond, picked Torch off his shoulder and held him in front of him. His eyes flickered back and forth between Torch and his mother nervously, "Whoever gets between that mother and this baby... is going to get fried!"

He quickly passed the baby dragon to Tuffnut, who passed it to Ruffnut, who passed it to Snotlout, who shoved it to Hicca. "Just leave it and let's get out of here," with that, he turned and ran back to Hookfang.

But before Hicca could put Torch down, the big mother dragon breathed another blast of fire, and finally spotted her baby in Hicca's arms. She turned in the air, and started heading straight for the group of teens.

Hicca quickly put Torch down, shooing him away and back towards his mother, all the while trying to ignore every part of her that was yelling at her to run. "Now, uh, go home to your Mama."

As the big dragon grew closer, it's furious expression grew clearer, and it's flames grew more intense. Hicca knew a hasty retreat would be best for her and the others, "Run!"

Hicca was about to join Arvid on the back of Stormfly, but another thought crossed her mind. Torch's mother wasn't slowing down, she didn't just want her baby back, she was going to burn them to ashes. And by the looks of it, Torch was just as terrified.

Hicca turned to the others, "You guys go that way, I'll lead her away from the village." With that, she turned and started running, she knew exactly where to go.

Hicca was vaguely aware of Arvid calling after her, but the more pressing issue was the giant dragon chasing after her. At first, Hicca didn't know why the mother was chasing only her at first, but a squawk behind Hicca gave her the answer. She looked over her shoulder to see Torch chasing after her.

"Oh, please stop following me!" Hicca pleaded with the small dragon.

Hicca looked up at the huge dragon chasing them, she was getting closer. But thankfully, Hicca was close to her goal.

She pushed her legs harder and ran to the edge of a small rocky cliffy, then she jumped down.

She landed on a familiar saddle and slotted her metal foot into the peddle, she felt the muscles underneath her push and pull, and she could hear the powerful wing beats either side of her. She was back with Toothless, the way it was supposed to be.

"Thanks, bud. I'm sorry. I should have listened to you."

Together, the two scaled the rock face and into the air, together they at least had a chance of getting away from the angry mother dragon. Torch's mother spat fire at the two of them, the red flames licking at their skin as they dodged out of the way.

"Toothless, evasive manoeuvres!" Hicca directed Toothless upwards and quickly out of the forest and over the water, weaving between sea stacks, hoping to create a bigger distance between them.

But the mother dragon wasn't stopping, she continued to chase them relentlessly. "Oh, why won't she stop?" Hicca asked herself more than anyone else.

But as usual, the answer soon came. Another small squawk sounded just behind Hicca, making her jump as she looked round, "What the-?" Perched on then saddle just behind Hicca, was a small, orange, and somewhat annoying, baby Typhoomerang.

"Torch!? What are you doing!? You need to be with your mother!" Hicca pleaded again. But the baby dragon didn't want to listen, he was just as scared of his mother as Hicca was. "Toothless, we have to try something else," Hicca told him. She looked behind her at the large dragon, trying to spot a weakness, something they could use. But mostly, all she saw was a big, scary, and angry mother.

Wait a minuet... that's it!

"We'll use her size against her! Toothless, up!" Hicca directed, a plan forming in her head, hopefully it would work.

They climbed higher into the air, still being followed my Torch's mother. Once they were high enough, Hicca gave the order.

"Now! Dive!"

Toothless ached in the air, before he came plummeting down back towards the forest, his wings close to his body, and the wind whipping past them. They aimed for the edge of the forest near the mountains, waiting until just the right moment, just as they passed the top of the tree line. Then Toothless' wings shot open and they flew parallel to the forest floor, mere inches from the grass below.

But torch's mother wasn't as agile, she open her wings to late, and came crashing down amongst the trees, hitting the ground hard. She skidded for a little while, then lay still on the ground.

Toothless circled back and landed a little distance away from the downed dragon. "I hope she's okay..." Hicca muttered to herself. She couldn't help it. This big dragon may have been attacking and chasing them just now, but she just wanted her baby back, just like any mother would.

Torch gave a small roar and jumped down from Toothless' saddle, he scuttled closer to his mother and nudged her jaw with his wings and snout, trying to wake her. Thankfully, the mother's eye fluttered opened, and she raised her head to look at her baby. Then more small squawks sounded, and Hicca watched as two more baby Typhoomerangs jumped down from their mother's back, one yellow and one blue. Had they been there this whole time?

Torch scuttled closer and was reunited with his siblings, the three of them roared happily to each other, while Hicca watched with a smile. "Good job, bud. Everyone's back where they belong," she commented as she scratched Toothless behind the ear.

The mother dragon lowered her wing and allowed her children to climb on, then she prepared to take off into the air again. Hicca couldn't help but give a sad smile and a wave, as a small orange Torch poked his head out from behind his mother's wing.

Hicca and Toothless watched as the large Typhoomerang began to take off in a large circle, sparks flying for her mouth as she flew in a circle, slowly getting tighter and tighter. Until she was able to shoot into air and fly away. Maybe they could finally return home now, some place far away from Berk.

"Let's go home, Toothless."

 _Communication between Dragon and Rider goes both ways. Not only must the Dragon follow the Rider's lead, but the Rider must listen to the Dragon as well. Because sometimes, what the Dragon is trying to say is what you need to hear._

End of episode 4.

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 **This chapter took forever to write, still not sure why thought :/ Oh well, it's done now :)**

 **So let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	5. In Dragons We Trust

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 5 here and the fifth episode of the first season :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 05**

 **In Dragons We Trust**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _As you fly through life, it's always good to know who you can trust... and who you can't. I know I can always count on Toothless, and it's important for him to know that no matter what... he can count on me._

It was hard to explain, unless you've felt it before. The feeling of complete freedom while falling. The cold wind that rushed past, but at the same time, that feeling of weightlessness. You're not being thrown around by the forceful wind, it's just parts and lets you slip through.

Hicca really enjoyed this feeling, it was also really funny to see the look on her friends faces. When she suddenly jumped from Toothless' back and started plummeting towards the ocean below, there was a shared look of shock among the other teens. But it didn't long. With Toothless' tail locked in place, he was still able to swoop down and catch his human, Hicca landing a little less that gracefully on his saddle.

"Nice catch, bud. A little close though..." Hicca added as she looked at the water below.

She directed Toothless upwards and joined the other riders as they circler the island. Today, the riders were learning to trust their dragons.

As Hicca joined the group, she looked over to Fishlegs, "It's you turn. Jump!"

But Fishlegs gripped Meatlug's saddle tightly. "I don't want to jump!" He said firmly.

"You have to believe she's gonna catch you, it's a trust exercise," Hicca explained, trying to ease Fishlegs' worries.

"I like to do my trusting on the ground, thank you very much." Fishlegs said firmly, making it clear that he wasn't budging. It wasn't that he didn't trust Meatlug, it's just that the thought of falling a long distance towards the deep ocean, wasn't very appealing.

Snotlout flew close, giving Fishlegs a cocky smirk, "Like this, chicken-legs."

Before anyone could stop him, Snotlout gave a triumphant yell, and slid off of Hookfang's saddle. Just as Hicca had done, he started falling through the sky, twisting and turning as the air flow whipped passed him.

But unlike Toothless, Hookfang didn't really pay attention to his rider while flying, meaning the Monstrous Nightmare failed to notice when Snotlout's weight disappeared from his neck.

After a short pause, Tuffnut spoke up. "So... should we mention something to Hookfang?" He asked his sister.

"Let me sleep on it," she answered. A small smirk on her face as she watched Snotlout fall, serves him right for all of that nasty flirting he'd been doing around her lately.

It was only when Toothless roared at Hookfang, did the larger dragon finally realise that something was amiss.

Hookfang looked down and spotted his rider spinning as he fell through the air, screaming as he did so, "Not feeling the trust!"

Hookfang gave a startled roar and tucked his wings in close, diving down towards his rider. But Snotlout kept falling, getting closer and closer to the solid ground below. When Hookfang finally caught up to him, Snotlout latched on to the dragon's face, but they were still coming in way too fast. Hookfang wasn't able to slow down in time, he and Snotlout crashed through someone's roof, and finally came to a stop.

But this house on the side of the mountain, belong to Mildew. Who obviously wasn't too happy with having a dragon and a young Viking male crash through his roof. Snotlout and Hookfang didn't wait around for the old man to start yelling, they took off again, smashing through the roof again, and making the hole even bigger.

Even from up in the air, Hicca and the others could hear Mildews angry yells. "You'll pay for this," he sounded like the villain from a children's book.

Hicca would have found it funny if there wasn't another thought racing in her head, "Something tells me we're gonna hear about this..."

/LINE BREAK/

That night, Stoick was waiting for Hicca when she got home. When she walked in through the front door with Toothless in tow, Stoick just pointed for her to sit at the table. Once she was seated, Stoick slammed a broken piece of single in front of her, most likely from Mildew's roof. Hicca tried to make light of the situation, but her father wasn't having any of it.

"It was an accident, Dad. I'm sure Mildew's making it sound worse than it really was," Hicca said seriously.

"A huge dragon and an obnoxious boy crashed through his roof... twice!" Stoick said, quoting what Mildew had told him.

Hicca winced slightly, "Well, sure, it sounds bad if you're gonna... stick to the facts."

Stoick gave a deep sigh and leaned heavily on the table, "Of all the houses on the island, a dragon had to crash through Mildew's! You know he hates dragons more than anyone!"

Hicca nodded, "I know... You might wanna talk to him about his attitude."

"Listen to me, Hicca," Stoick said sternly. "I gave you the responsibility of training those dragons, everyone knows that. All eyes are upon you."

Hicca looked down at the floor, she could feel the disappointment seeping into her from her father's words. Stoick took a deep breath and leaned down closer to Hicca's height, his voice softer but still serious. "Whatever those beasts do, reflects on you. And whatever you do reflects on me."

Hicca nodded again, she understood her responsibilities as the leader of the Academy, and as the heiress. "I'm sorry, Dad. You right."

Stoick straightened and stood tall once more, "You and your friends are going to go back to Mildew's and fix that roof. Without your dragons," he added.

Hicca glared at Toothless with jealousy, why do the dragons get off scot-free? Hookfang crashed through Mildew's roof too.

But just as Hicca was about to head upstairs, her father spoke up again. "Ah, not so fast! Aren't you forgetting something?" Hicca raised an eyebrow in confusion. But then her father lent down, and started taking off his thick leather boots.

Oh, no. Please say it's not...

"It's boot night! They need to be aired out," Stoick stated as he handed his boots to Hicca.

It was a somewhat tradition on Berk that had started a little while ago. Everyone in the village worked hard, regardless of age. The only difference was that the teens were able to fly everywhere on their dragons, while the adults were always on their feet. With that in mind, it was no wonder why the adult's boots often stunk to Valhalla.

As the boots were shoved under Hicca's nose, the stink quickly attacked her nose, she took the boots from her father and held them at arms length. It was vile, even Toothless winced when he sniffed the offending article. "Ugh! I think it's going to take more than air."

Hicca stepped outside and dropped the boots unceremoniously on the door step. She saw the others doing the same, Snotlout almost gagging at the smell from his father's boots. With that, Hicca went back inside, and went to bed.

But that night, as a light snow fell, not everyone was asleep.

Something was wondering around the village. Wondering up to each and every door step in the village, and stealing away the boots. The creature, whatever it was, left huge foot prints in its wake.

/LINE BREAK/

When morning came, the snow had stopped falling leaving a slight chill in the air.

Many of the adults rose and went outside to collect their boots. But they were all gone. Not a single boot was any where to be seen. Most of the adults went to find Stoick, while the teens went to find Hicca.

Stoick breathed in the crisp air as he stepped outside, stretching his back and setting his helmet upon his head, all he need now was his... boots?

"Where are my boots?" He asked the thin air. He looked up and spotted Mulch, Bucket and Gobber standing before his house, all of them also spotting bare feet, or foot in Gobber's case. "Where are your boots?"

"They've all been stolen! Every last one!" Gobber complained. He's already lost one foot, he didn't like the idea of losing the other to frostbite.

"Who could have done such a thing?" Mulch asked, while Bucket was still wondering why is feet were cold.

"All I know is that they left a mighty big footprint," Mildew's gravelly voice sounded.

The others turned to look at him, and saw his staff pointing towards a pile of snow nearby, a large dragon print right in the centre of it. Hicca stepped outside to see what all the commotion was about, and soon met up with the other dragon riders.

"Oh! Those are Zippleback tracks," Fishlegs pointed out excitedly. "You can tell by the half-moon shaped arches."

Hicca frowned, already knowing what the others were going to think. They were of course going to assume that a dragon stole the boots. "So, a dragon walked through here," Hicca commented, trying to brush aside Mildews comment before it burrowed its way into the adult's heads. "But that doesn't mean it took the boots."

"Well there's only one way to find out. Follow the foot prints," Mildew said with a slight smirk.

But it just made Hicca frown more, why did his voice sound even more slimy than usual?

/LINE BREAK/

The group of teens and adults followed the foot prints, soon followed by most of the other villagers. The tracks eventually lead them to the Academy, and in the centre of the ring, lay Barf and Belch, sleeping soundly... on top of a pile of boots.

Hicca twitched slightly, this would be a little harder to explain. "So there's a bunch of boots piled around a Zippleback," she tried to brush it off again, all the while throwing a slight glare at the twins. "That doesn't mean -" But her words were halted when her father walked over to the pile of leather boots, he picked up the torn leather item and held it up to Hicca.

"Okay, fine, they took the boots," Hicca sighed in defeat.

The crowd of Vikings around them started to kick up a fuss, how were they supposed to do any work without their boots? This is outrageous! They all started to yell.

Mildew stepped forward again, "How long before something's done about these creatures, Stoick? How much more can we stand!?" He yelled out to the crowd and riled them up more.

Thankfully, Gobber was there to break up the crowd with an annoyed sigh. "Listen to yourselves. 'My feet are cold'," he mimicked the crowd in a whiney voice. "You're Vikings! Everything's cold! I'll fix your boots, you'll be back to work in no time."

Stoick nodded and turned to the villagers, "You all heard Gobber. You'll be getting your boots back as good as new."

Thankfully, the crowd settled down at that, but Mildew wasn't satisfied. "That's it? No consequence for these dragons?"

Stoick turned to the older man in annoyance, "They took our boots, Mildew. The world isn't coming to an end."

"Oh, don't be so sure. Dragons are wild beasts. There's no telling what they'll do behind our sleeping backs," Mildew said dramatically.

Hicca had had enough, she stepped forward to confront Mildew. "They don't destroy things on purpose," She stated firmly. But as she spoke, her mind started to turn. "But you do have a point, Mildew."

Hicca didn't like saying it, but it was worth it just to see the look on the older man's face, even Gobber and Stoick look surprised.

As Hicca thought, she realised that Barf and Belch still hadn't moved from the pile of boots.

"Will you get out of there!" She scolded.

But as the Zippleback trudged back to the twins, Hicca noticed the footprints it made in the snow pile. Something about them was different to the prints they saw earlier.

Trained or not, the dragons were wild animals at heart, and there was still much they didn't know about them and their different species. If Torch had proved anything, it was that there was still much to learn. Maybe there was something that could affect the dragons in strange ways, like the eels could make them afraid. They just didn't know yet.

So, if they wanted to figure out what was going on, then they had to keep an eye on them.

/LINE BREAK/

"We're going on night patrol." Hicca stood in front of the other teens as they met on top of the old catapult.

Tuffnut jumped up in excitement, "Night patrol! I love it!" Then he paused. "What is it?"

Hicca gave a sigh, "It's where we patrol... at night. To keep an eye on the dragon, and make sure they don't get blamed for anything else," She explained.

"Um... have you cleared this with our parents? Because some of us might not be allowed out after a certain hour," Fishlegs spoke up.

But Hicca didn't miss the stutter in his voice, and apparently, neither did Snotlout.

"Not allowed? Or afraid," He tease the larger blond.

Fishlegs turned to face him seriously, "Hey! Things happen after dark."

Hicca gave another sigh, "Guys, we have to do this. You heard Mildew; he wants the dragons banished."

"Permission to shoot first and ask questions later?" Ruffnut spoke up.

"Permission to skip the questions?" Tuffnut joined in.

"We're just patrolling!" Hicca stated firmly. "No one is shooting anyone!"

Tuffnut gave a frown, "I have a question; what's fun about that?"

"It's not supposed to be fun. It's a 'Hicca' idea," Arvid stated with a smirk.

"Exactly," Hicca agreed, happy to have the support. Until she realised what Arvid had just said.

/LINE BREAK/

That night, the first patrol began, under the name of the Dragon United Monitoring Brigade. Two guesses for who came up with the name.

Snotlout liked the idea of having a level of authority, and had even made sashes for himself and Arvid, with the initials written across the front. It was a little embarrassing for Arvid, but Hicca had given him a task, and he took it very seriously as he went door to door talking to the villagers.

Snotlout patrolled with Hookfang, his mind conjuring all sorts of dramatic scenes, with him being the protector of the village. But a sudden twig snap caught his attention.

"Halt! Who goes there!?" He called, shining his lamp to the right.

"Take a wild guess," Gobbers annoyed tone sounded. All the blacksmith wanted was to go home after finally fixing all of the boots, he didn't have a patients to deal with Hicca's annoying cousin.

But Snotlout continued his high and mighty act, "I don't like your attitude."

"Right back at you."

"Yeah, I'm the one with the sash," The teen gestured proudly.

"Let me take a closer look at that," Gobber said with a slight smirk. In a quick motion, he hooked his prosthetic around Snotlout's sash, and hoisted him into the air. "'D.U.M.B'? Well, that suits you."

"Okay, I think we're done here," The teen squeaked, finally realising that the Blacksmith wasn't in the mood to be messed with.

But amongst the small scuffle, neither Gobber nor Snotlout noticed Hookfang slip away.

The large Nightmare soon grew bored of the altercation between the two, and wandered off in the hopes of finding something more entertaining. Along the way, he stumbled across the twins trying to scare Fishlegs and Meatlug from the shadows, this should be fun. Hookfang poked his head forward and cast along shadow across the ground.

Fishlegs gave a cry and jumped onto his Gronkle's back, flying away as quickly as possible. The twins gave laughed, but soon began arguing again. Hookfang soon grew bored and wondered off again.

But as Hookfang slinked around the houses, he wasn't spotted by Hiccup and Toothless as they flew over head. "Well, Mildew will be happy to know what dragons do at night: they sleep, like everyone else." Hicca steered Toothless around, and started heading towards the far side of the village.

But even with the teens patrolling the village, they missed the shadowed figure creeping into the Great Hall. The figure clawed at the walls and pillars, and slashed at the tapestries hanging from the ceiling, leaving long gashes in the wood and shreds of cloth hanging from the once beautiful images.

Then they slipped away, back into the night.

It wasn't until a few hours later when someone sounded the alarm, alerting everyone that the Great Hall had been trashed.

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca and the other teens couldn't believe their eyes when the saw the damage in the hall. These tapestries and carvings were made by their ancestors, they built this grand space with their bare hands. To see it all damaged and scared... It actually hurt.

Hicca felt the worst. This was the Hall built by the first ever chief in her family line, and all of the generations of chiefs that came after him had used this space to lead their people and protect them. Yet Hicca had failed to protect it.

She could even answer her father when he cautiously stepped into the hall. "Who could have done such a thing?"

Unfortunately Fishlegs looked up from where he had been examining the claw marks in the pillars, he usual enthusiasm shining through, "Looks like a dragon to me!"

Hicca turned and gave him a slightly stern look, "We don't know that for sure, Fishlegs..."

"Sure we do. Look at these claw marks. It was obviously a Monstrous Nightmare. The spacing of the talons is dead on," Fishlegs continued, unaware of the look Hicca was throwing him.

Arvid stepped forward, "But how could this happen? We had every dragon accounted for at all times. Right, guys?" He turned to look at the others, then zeroed in on Snotlout as he looked a little nervous.

"When you say 'at all times', and 'every dragon'... What exactly do you mean?"

There was a long pause after Snotlout said that, Stoick took a deep breath, while Hicca slapped her forehead trying to relieve some of the pressure that was starting to build. "Okay, what happened, Snotlout?"

"Well, I was detaining a suspect who wasn't showing sufficient respect to the sash," Snotlout stated proudly, as he glared at Gobber out of the corner of his eye.

"I think I show sufficient respect to a sash that says 'D.U.M.B'" Gobber glared back, still feeling a little tired.

"We've got to change that name," Arvid muttered to Hicca, who nodded in return.

Snotlout turned back to his cousin and continued, "Anyway... as I was questioning said suspect, Hookfang may have... and I'm not saying he did... but it is possible he wandered off for a few..."

"Seconds?"

"Minutes?"

The twins asked seriously, the gravity of the situation must have hit them.

"Hours..." Snotlout said quietly.

A worried look passed over Tuffnut's face, "Oh, that's way longer than minutes..."

Just then, Mildew's gravelled voice sounded from behind them, with a mix of obviously fake concern. "Oh no, it's true! The Great Hall!"

Gobber just rolled his eyes and ignored the old man, "A dragon must have gone on a rampage. I hate to say it Stoick, but you're going to have to..."

Stoick just nodded, "I know what needs to be done, Gobber." He then turned to Hicca, "Starting tonight, every night, I want all the dragons put in the Academy under lock and key."

But even with that, Mildew still wasn't satisfied. He wanted the dragons off the island entirely, "That's it? Look what they did!"

"This just doesn't make any sense," Hicca tried to explain. "A dragon wouldn't just come in here and destroy the place. I mean, none of the food was even touched!"

Stoick held up a hand to silence her, "I don't know why dragons do what they do, but I'm not going to let them do anymore damage."

Stoick turned then and made his way towards another group of Vikings, there was a lot to be repaired. Leaving Hicca to tell the other teens his decision.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, the teens spent most of the day flying with their dragons, knowing that they'd have to lock them away that night. Hicca still felt responsible for all this, she should have been watching the village and the Great Hall, but she'd failed.

As they flew over the village, Stoick and Gobber watched them from the plaza. Gobber turned to his friend and saw the sad look on his face.

"You had to cage the dragons, Stoick. You had no choice," he placed a hand on the chief's shoulder and tried to reassure him.

Stoick nodded with a heavy sigh, "I know. But to Hicca, when I punish them, I'm punishing her."

"Yeah, that lassie thinks the dragons can do no wrong," Gobber agreed. It was obvious that Hicca believed in the dragons, and she trusted Toothless about all else.

Stoick looked up at the sky again, watching his daughter as she flew, "I just hope she understands that while a father dose what's best for his child, a Chief must do what's best for the village."

In a way, that was the worst part about being chief. There were times when Stoick wanted nothing more than to just support and be there for his daughter, but there was so many other people depending on him, it just took up so much of his time and energy. It also didn't help when some members of the village were just being a nuisance.

/LINE BREAK/

When the teens arrived at the arena, it was almost sunset. But the thought of being locked up for the night didn't set well with the dragons, they were all feeling upset and even a little moody. Fishlegs tried to calm Meatlug down to help her sleep, but nothing seemed to work. The Gronckle was just too upset, so she got up and trudged away from her rider to the other side of the arena.

"That usually works," Fishlegs said sadly, he turned and glared at Snotlout and Hookfang, clearly blaming Hookfang for this.

"Watch it, Fishlegs," Snotlout glared back. "At least my dragon doesn't need a lullaby and a blanky."

"Actually it is you fault all our dragons have to sleep in jail," Ruffnut pointed out. The twins both seemed to glide over the fact that it was Barf and Belch how had stolen the adult's boots.

Tuffnut agreed with her, "Yeah. You don't see our dragon going on a rampage and wrecking stuff." Unfortunately, Hookfang, Barf and Belch were starting to rile each other up. The Nightmare gave a small roar, while the Zippleback stomped forward, smashing a box under its foot. "Well, not any good stuff," Tuffnut corrected.

But Hicca's mind was still whirling, something's were just not adding up, "I don't think a dragon wrecked the Great Hall, or stole the boots."

Arvid stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "None of us want to believe it either, Hicca. But you saw the proof."

"What proof?" Hicca asked, shrugging off his hand. "You saw the footprints too, they were supposed to be made by a Zippleback, but they were no deeper than mine." Hicca looked down at the large piles of snow that still lingered around the ring, Barf and Belch's foot print was still visible and deep. "Look at these, I could lie down in them!" she pointed out. Granted that wasn't saying much considering how small Hicca was, but she still had a point.

"Well, there could be a lot of explanations why a dragon made shallow footprints," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Like, he was trying to be sneaky," Ruffnut suggested.

Arvid stepped forward, he wanted to believe Hicca, but there was still something missing. "Alright, but how do you explain the Great Hall?"

Hicca was about to answer, when a sudden blaze erupted from Hookfang, covering his body in flames. Clearly Hookfang had had enough of Barf and Belch.

"Snotlout, do something about him, please. We're trying to think over here," Hicca complained to her cousin. Hookfang growled again, the flame encasing his body growing more intense. "Snotlout!" Hicca called to her cousin again.

Snotlout was about to approach his dragon, but he took a step back when he heat intensified. "I'm not the boss of him," He admitted. "He always does that when he gets angry!"

Then it clicked in Hicca's head, "Or goes on a rampage. That's how I can explain the Great Hall!" Hicca ran over to Toothless excitedly, now that she had some proof, she had to tell her father.

Toothless took off out of the Academy and flew towards the Great Hall. The sun had just set as they arrived, landing just outside the large doors. Hicca dismounted, then another thought occurred to her. "Toothless maybe you should stay out here," Hicca told him, it would probably be better for the other villagers if the dragons didn't set foot inside the hall anytime soon.

Hicca stepped inside the hall and soon found her father overseeing the repairs. The tapestries would thankfully be easy to fix, while some of the wooden panels on the tables and fire pits would need replacing. The pillars couldn't be replaced, but hopefully they could give the damaged wood a new coating and paint over the damage.

Hicca waited until her father was finished talking to another group of Vikings, then she stepped forward. She told her father as much as she could, and everything she had figured out, but so far, Stoick didn't think it was enough.

"Just hear me out, dad. When a Monstrous Nightmare gets mad, his whole body bursts into flames. But look at these walls, there's not a single scorch mark."

Stoick turned to her with a stern look, "Hicca, until I have solid proof that it was something else, the dragons stay where they are."

Stoick turned to get back to repairs, but Hicca wasn't giving up that easily.

Outside the Great Hall, Toothless waited patiently for his rider. But a sudden noise caught his attention, a quiet crash not far away. Toothless raises his head and looked in the direction the noise had come from, it was probably nothing, but if Hicca was going to take a while, maybe he should investigate. He trudged down the long flight of stairs and listened for any more sounds in the quiet night air.

Just off to the left of the stairs was a small shed, Toothless remembered seeing the other Vikings store their weapons in there. The door was slightly agar, but as Toothless watched, the door suddenly slammed shut. Toothless wandered closer and nudged the door open with his snout, he carefully stepped inside, his body tense as he gurgled quietly. He looked around the barrels and shelves full of weapons and explosives, but nothing stood out yet.

Then another sudden sound made him jump, his eyes darted forward to see the window on the opposite side of the building hanging open, that wasn't open when he'd first stepped inside. He moved closer and sniffed at the wood, someone had been here just now and the smell should be fresh, but something stronger was covering it.

The smell of explosive powder.

A hissing noise pulled Toothless attention away from the window, just in time to see a stream of fire licking at a barrel of powder. The heat and flames ignited the powder, and the barrel exploded, blowing up the other barrels one after the other. Toothless barely made it out of the shed before the entire structure went up in flames a huge cloud of black smoke rising into the sky.

The alarm was sounded, and soon after, Stoick and Hicca ran out of the Great Hall.

"The armoury! Grab some buckets!" Stoick ordered as he ran down the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the midnight dragon huddled in the corner trying to stay out of the way. "Toothless?"

Once the fire was under control, mummers and questions started to run through the crowd, then one cry rang out. "It was him! He set the armoury on fire!" One of the Vikings yelled pointing at Toothless.

Hicca dropped the buckets she'd been holding, looking at Toothless in disbelief. Toothless was supposed to be waiting outside the Great Hall, why had he... It couldn't be...

/LINE BREAK/

A few hours late, the fires died down completely, the only things remaining were broken and burnt weapons amongst a pile of ashes. The intense heat had warped the metal swords and axes, making them shrivel and become useless.

Hicca, Stoick and a few others stayed behind to help Gobber pick threw the remains, seeing if there was anything that could be salvaged. But for the most part, Gobber was just miserable over his ruined work.

"Prudence! My poor darling, I'm so sorry." Gobber gentle picked up a crooked long sword, cradling it as if it were made of glass, "You should have had a long, blood-letting life."

Mildew stepped forward and looked over the destruction, trying to hide the obvious grin on his face as he called out to the few remaining Vikings. "Hicca's dragon has left us utterly defenceless."

Hicca looked over to the villagers worriedly this was clearly the last straw for all of them, and also for her father. "Dad, you know Toothless wouldn't do this!"

But Mildew wormed his way between her and Stoick, "Sure, listen to the girl, Stoick. That's what got us into this mess in the first place." Mildew turned and sneered at Hicca, forcing the girl to recoil at his rancid breath, "See what happens when you leave your dragon all alone to wait outside?"

As he stepped away, his words hit Hicca. Something about that didn't sound right. But before she could ask the old man what he meant, Gobber yelled out in anguish over another ruined sword... this one apparently named Cindy.

Stoick clenched his fists and turned to Hicca with a deep frown on his face, "These dragons have done too much damage. It's no longer safe to have them on Berk. I want them gone." Stoick turned to the remaining Vikings and pointed towards the Academy where the other dragons were, "Round them up, we're taking them all to Dragon Island in the morning."

Hicca's eyes were wide as she looked up at her father, her arms wrapped around Toothless's neck tightly. This couldn't be happening, she couldn't be losing her best friend.

Stoick looked over the crowd and announced to everyone, "By the end of tomorrow, there will be no more dragons on Berk."

Just when Hicca was feeling at her lowest, Mildew spoke to her on final time. "Don't forget, girl. Right after you drop off you dragon, you'll be fixing my roof."

If Hicca wasn't so upset, she would have punched the old man in the face.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning, the teens flew their dragons towards Dragon Island, a small row boat following them to take them back to Berk. They wouldn't be flying back. No one said anything, but not because they didn't know what to say. Arvid was actually the only one still talking to Hicca, the others were back to ignoring her, just like before the dragons had been trained.

The teens were miserable as they were forced to say goodbye to their dragons, and the dragons weren't happy either. The dragons had formed strong bonds with the riders and had made their home on Berk, but now they were being blamed for something that wasn't their fault, and forced to leave their new home.

Arvid removed Stormfly's saddle and stroked her beak comfortingly, he was actually going to miss the female Nadder. Ruffnut hugged Barfs head tightly while Tuffnut did the same with Belch, then they both turned and hugged the other dragons head. They weren't just twins flying a two headed dragon, they were a four man team.

Fishlegs was trying to stay strong for Meatlug. He made a small mile of rock for her and patted her gently on the snout, then he took away her saddle and walked away. But it was all too much for Meatlug, as she watched her rider with wide eyes the weight of the situation suddenly hit her all at once, she just rolled over and collapsed on the ground.

Snotlout was actually being quite honest with himself as he said goodbye to Hookfang. True, he could be brash, and loud, and maybe a little annoying, but Hookfang didn't mind. No matter what Snotlout did, the Nightmare still cared about him and looked after him, even when that included teaching him a lesson.

"Be strong, buddy. I know you're gonna miss me..." Snotlout was about to say more, when Hookfang suddenly got distracted by a bird. The Nightmare chassed the small winged creature and left Snotlout alone with his emotions.

Hicca landed a little distance away from the others, she took of Toothless's saddle and stroked his chin caringly. "I'll be back for you, I promise," She knew she was close to crying, so she stood and started heading back towards the boat. But Toothless followed her, as if he didn't understand what was happening. Hicca took a deep breath and turned back to him, "No, bud. You've got to stay here and take care of the other dragons."

Toothless's large toxic green eyes stared up at her sad emerald ones, "It's gonna be okay, Toothless. Trust me."

Hicca held out her hand to stop Toothless from getting closer, but the dragon just leaded forward and pressed his snout to her palm. Of course he trusted her.

All at once, Hicca knew couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She kneeled down and wrapped her arms tightly around Toothless's neck holding onto him as her tears slipped out and down her cheek. She had failed to save the dragons from being sent back to Dragon Island, but she would get them back, no matter what.

/LINE BREAK/

Back on the boat, the other teens were still not talking to Hicca, but Arvid stood next to her until she wanted to talk. Hicca just leaded against the mast and thought long and hard, something still didn't make sense. It wasn't until they were already halfway back to Berk that Hicca finally spoke up.

"There's something Mildew said that I can't stop thinking about..." Hicca started quietly, Arvid listened quietly. Hicca thought hard, "H-He said, 'See what happens when you leave you dragon to wait outside?' He knew Toothless wasn't with me just before the armoury fire."

"So...?" Arvid asked curiously.

The more Hicca thought about it, the more the holes started to form. "So... so he lives on the other side of the mountain. What was he doing in town that late? And how would he know where we were before the fire?"

Arvid frowned slightly, "You really think he set that fire?"

Hicca nodded, "I think he did all of it. And I thing he did it so that my dad would get rid of the dragons."

Arvid stood in front of Hicca and placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "That's a pretty serious accusation. How are you gonna prove it?"

"I have a plan," Hicca said firmly.

That afternoon, she was going to fix Mildew's roof, but she planned on doing it alone. Without the others there, she was going to find proof that Mildew was responsible.

Of course them moment Hicca arrived at the grumpy mans house, he started ordering her around. Hicca grumbled to herself, the day she became chief, she was going to make him pay, but for now, she had more important matters to attend to.

As luck would have it, Mildew had to leave to go into town for a little while, it would be a while before he came back. She kept hammering on the roof and waited a little while longer, just to make sure the old man didn't return too soon. Hicca had already mentioned that she was running low on nails, so if Mildew did come home and not find her on the roof, then at least she's have an excuse.

Now to find a way in. Mildew had locked his front door out of habit, but thankfully... there was still a gaping hole in the roof

Hicca picked up a long piece of rope and tied it to the figure head on Mildew's house, then she dropped the other half through the hole and lowered herself into the small and dingy house.

The space was quite baron, like a kitchen and bedroom all in one. The bed was shoved into one corner with a small table next to it, there was also a fire place against the opposite wall. An array of weapons hung from the ceiling and walls, but aside from a Gronckle head mounted on the wall, there wasn't much decoration. But Hicca did see some shield paintings on the wall near the front door, they seemed to be of Mildew's ex wives.

1st wife, 2nd wife, 3rd wife... Fungus the sheep. "Well... Mildew definitely has a type," Hicca commented with a small shudder.

Then something caught Hicca's eye. Against the wall opposite the fire place, there was tall wooden cabinet with a cloth draw across the front. But poking out from under the cloth, was something long and sharp, it looked like a claw. Well, if Hicca was looking for evidence, that would be a good place to start.

She pulled aside the cloth, and found exactly what she was looking for.

Inside the cabinet was a pair of Zippleback feet made into shoes, and a Monstrous Nightmare claw mounted on a pole.

"What the...?" Hicca pulled out the boot and staff to get a better look. So this is what Mildew had used when he took the boots, and trashed the Great Hall. Now Hicca had some real evidence.

But everything came crashing down when Hicca heard the front door being unlocked.

She shoved the boot and staff back into the cabinet and yanked the cloth across the front, then she jumped onto the rope and pulled herself up as quickly as she could. When the front door opened, Hicca froze, hoping desperately that Mildew didn't look up and see her dangling from the ceiling, or at least not the end of the rope that was still dangling from her metal leg.

"I'm home, ladies!" Mildew announced as he walked over to the shield paintings. He stopped and gazed smugly at the paintings, mocking them as he spoke, "What's that you say...? Nothing? Perfect."

Then Mildew turned towards the tall cabinet, but something made him pause. Hicca twitched as he stood directly under her. He slowly reach out for the cloth and suddenly yanked it back, as if he was expecting someone to be there. Hicca gulped, it didn't seem like she'd been found out just yet at least.

Mildew shrugged and pulled out the boots and staff, "Ah, these served us well didn't they, Fungus?" Mildew asked his sheep. He turned and made his way towards the door, "Shame we'll have to get rid of them."

Hicca frowned at that. Once Mildew and Fungus were out of the house, she quickly shuffled the rest of the way up the rope and onto the roof. She hide behind the figure head and watched as Mildew made his way the edge of the cliff.

But she could do nothing but watch as he threw Hicca's evidence over the edge, down into the ocean bellow.

Oh, great. Now what was she going to do?

End of episode 5.

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 **This chapter took forever to write, sorry everyone :( Still, I really liked is episode, it's a bit like the first part of the appearance of Alvin, which is one of the episodes I really like. So look out for that next :)**

 **So let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	6. Alvin and the Outcasts

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 6 here and the sixth episode of the first season :) Sorry for such a late update, so much other stuff going on right now, but I'm still alive, don't worry :) Anyway, enjoy the chapter :)**

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 **Episode 06**

 **Alvin and the Outcasts**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _There's an old Viking saying: 'When your friends are roasting on the spit, you're the one who feels the fire'. Mildew has made the entire village believe the dragons are too wild, that we can't all live together in peace. He's wrong, and I'm going to prove it._

On Dragon Island, Toothless sat on the stump of a fallen tree and looked out over the ocean.

Hicca had promised she'd return for him, and he believed her, no matter how long it took. In the meantime, it was his job to take care of the others. Most of the time this meant comforting Meatlug, and keeping Hookfang, Barf and Belch from fighting. He hoped that Hicca would be back soon, he just had to be patient.

Unbeknownst to Toothless, Hicca was also looking out at the ocean, gazing in the direction of Dragon Island and wishing she was there.

But before she could bring the dragons home, she had to prove their innocence. Yesterday she had finally found evidence that Mildew was the one who framed the dragons, but then he'd thrown the Zippleback boots and the Monstrous Nightmare claw over the edge of his cliff and into the ocean.

Hicca had gathered the other teens at the beach the very next morning, hoping the evidence had washed up on the sand. But so far, it wasn't going well.

Snotlout gave an annoyed yell, "We've been here for hours and we haven't found anything!"

Hicca glared at him, "We've been here for ten minutes, and you've done nothing but build... that." She gestured to a pile of drift wood and stones Snotlout had found, which for some reason her cousin had decided to craft into some kind of structure... thing.

"This is Snotlout Manor," he stated proudly. He turned to Arvid with a cocky grin, "Now all I need is a court jester." Arvid glared back, then he let out a laugh as Tuffnut started stomping and breaking Snotlout's 'Manor ' to pieces.

"Come on, guys!" Hicca called trying to rally them. "I'm telling you, Mildew framed out dragons. I saw dragon feet and claws in Mildew's house, and I watched him throw then into the ocean."

Fishlegs raised a hand nervously, "I don't mean to be Norbert the Negative, but the ocean is really, really big. Our chances of finding those dragon feet are as good as Snotlout and Arvid-"

"Don't finish that sentence" Arvid said slowly, turning his glare to the larger blond.

Fishlegs clamped his mouth shut, and quick scuttled away from the annoyed axe wielding male.

Arvid took a deep breath and stepped closer to Hicca, "Look, Fishlegs is right. Even if Mildew did throw them in the ocean, they're not just gonna wash up on the shore here."

Hicca looked down at the sand under her metal foot, she didn't want to admit it, but she knew they were right.

/LINE BREAK/ 

In the village forge, Gobber was hard at work hammering an axe blade into shape. He held it up to the light and inspected the balance and sharpness.

"One down, 345 to go," he said happily. Any progress was good progress in the blacksmith's books, but Stoick was growing concerned.

"Can't you do that any faster? Until you restock the weapons, we're completely defenceless." Stoick had been pacing around the forge for a good half an hour already, trying to think of a backup plan until the weapons were all repaired.

Gobber watched his friend out of the corner of his eye as he sharpened the axe, "Maybe you should have thought before sending the dragons away."

"You know I had no choice. They destroyed the armoury," Stoick answered gruffly.

"This would be a bad time to get attacked," Gobber nagged.

"I know, Gobber."

"Not that there's ever a good time, but this would be particularly bad."

"I know, Gobber."

"Especially by Alvin the Treacherous, he'd kill us all and take Berk for his own."

"I got it, Gobber!" Stoick snapped, hoping that his friend would stop. As Gobber got on with his work, Stoick's mind started to wonder. It had been a long time since he'd thought about Alvin, but he knew why Gobber had mentioned him, it was the anniversary after all.

Exactly 20 years ago, Stoick himself had banished Alvin from Berk. Of course Alvin had vowed to return and take Berk, but he had yet to make a move... so far.

/LINE BREAK/ 

Mean while, on a dark and dingy island west of Berk, a dragon raid was raging.

Outcast Island, home to everyone every banished from their home, lead by Alvin the Treacherous. The large man looked up at the sky, watching the fire rain down as the dragons flew through the air.

"Alvin, they're coming back!" Another Viking yelled out.

The dragons came in thick and fast, their fires destroying everything they touched. The attacks happened so frequently, it was no wonder why the Outcasts had built their homes and shelters underground and in the mountain where it was safe.

Alvin growled at the flying beasts, he turned and ran towards an upturned catapult. Shoving men aside, he righted the catapult with his bare hands, "Out of my way! You can't find goo marauders anywhere these days."

He loaded a large stone in the catapult and aimed at an incoming Nightmare, the stone was fired, and it hit the dragon square in the chest, bringing it crashing down. But there were still many more to go.

"Alvin, there are too many of them! We need to get inside!" A man by the name of Savage yelled.

The Outcast chief glared up at the smoke filled sky as his second in command ran for cover, it may not happen today, but someday soon, he was going to get rid of these dragons for good. He begrudgingly turned away from the fire, and followed Savage into the main building built into the side of the mountain, leaving Savage to barricade the door behind him.

"I've had it with these dragons!" Alvin yelled gruffly. "Is the ship ready?"

"We still have a little more work to do," Savage answered as he ran after him.

"We only need one, get it finished! We sail for Berk immediately. We'll land under the cover of night." Alvin looked over the small group of men around the fire pit, they would only be needing one ship to face Berk this time.

Savage looked at him in question, "Why aren't we taking the whole army?"

"We're not there to fight Stoick," Alvin tone them, making them all turn to him curiously. "We're only there for one man... The Dragon Conqueror."

A sting of murmurs ran through the men, they had all heard of the Dragon Conqueror. The one who had ended the war between the Vikings of Berk and the dragons, who could control any dragon, and command them to his will.

"I hear he's ten feet tall with the strength of a dozen men," Savage told to the others. No doubt some of the rumours were false, but all tales held some truth in them.

Alvin chuckled darkly, "Well, he shouldn't be hard to find then, should he?"

/LINE BREAK/ 

Back on Berk, Hicca had finally decided to tell Gobber and her father what she had found. Even if she didn't have proof, she had to tell them what she'd found out. Gobber sat on a chair and Stoick stood near the table, both of them listening as Hicca stood near the fire pit telling them everything. But so far, they looked very sceptical.

Of course Stoick wanted to see the evidence for himself, which for Hicca meant admitting the bad news that it was most likely at the bottom of the ocean. Stoick looked at her with a somewhat disappointed expression, he gave a sigh and stood from his chair, stepping closer until he could place a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Hicca, I know you're upset about the dragons, but you're going to need evidence to accuse a man of high treason."

Hicca gave a small sigh and nodded, maybe on some level her father did believe her, but he was right. Without the evidence she'd found, her words were useless.

Maybe there really was nothing she could do right now, and all this stressing was for naught. She needed to clear her head.

Hicca stepped outside, and was surprised to find Arvid standing at the bottom of the steps.

"How did it go?" He asked turning to her.

"Uh... about as well as I expected," Hicca answered with a small smile.

Arvid returned the smile and nodded his head towards the village, silently offering to walk with her. Hicca accepted the offer.

The two walked around the village in silence for a while, neither saying anything, just enjoying each other's company. It wasn't until sunset that Hicca finally spoke, her previous worries not leaving her in the slightest.

"Arvid... We'll prove Mildew did it. We have to if we ever want to see our dragons again."

The blond nodded, "I just hope they're okay." Arvid looked out over the sea stacks, trying to think of something else to say to comfort Hicca. But he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

A small ship had weighed anchor just off their island amongst the sea stacks, Arvid moved closer to the cliff to get a better look, "Why would one of our ships be anchoring there?"

Hicca stepped next to him and looked out towards the ship, but it was still quite a distance away making it hard to make out the insignia on the sails. Hicca reached into her pocket and pulled out a small looking glass she'd made, the lens helping her see the ship as if it was only a couple of meters away. The wood looked newly built, but the sails were dirty and worn, this ship had clearly been rebuilt not long ago.

The men on the ship looked like Vikings, they were wearing dark, tattered clothing, with dirty armour and worn leather. Upon the sail of the ship the insignia was a deep red colour, but it wasn't the Hooligan tribes Monstrous Nightmare mark, it was a Viking helmet with sharp horns and angular edges.

There's only one reason why a strange ship would be trying to sneak around the island, Hicca turned to Arvid, "It's not one of our ships. We need to tell my dad, come on!"

The two ran through the village until they found Stoick, quickly telling him what they had seen. Stoick's eyes widened, he knew what that insignia meant. "Spread the word, everyone is to meet in the Great Hall as soon as possible."

/LINE BREAK/ 

Just after sunset, Alvin and his men landed on the shores of Berk. At the same time, the Hooligan tribe gathered in the Great Hall, where Stoick told them about the danger they faced.

But just as panic was starting to spread, Stoick raised his hands to get their attention. "This is no time to panic! That's what the Outcasts are counting on!"

The people were just starting to calm down when another Viking with a thick brown beard ran into the Hall, Stoick had sent him to see how many Outcasts they were dealing with.

Stoick turned to him, "Did you get a count?"

The man stopped in front of the chief to catch his breath, "I saw at least thirty men, all armed to the teeth."

"Without weapons, we'll never be able to fight them head on," Gobber pointed out.

The murmurs of the crowd were starting to grow worried again, just then Mildew's voice cut through, "No weapons! Outcasts on our shores! And all thanks to your girl and her dragons!" Mildew pointed to Hicca accusingly.

Honestly, with everything else going on Hicca just ignored him this time. But Stoick turned and glared at him, "I don't have time for this right now, Mildew." With the old man effectively silenced, Stoick turned his attention to Bucket and Mulch, "You two, gather the elders and the children. Get them to Thor's beach, they'll be safe in the caves there."

The two men nodded and started gathering the young and old, begrudgingly taking Mildew with them. But Snotlout and Arvid stepped forward, they didn't want to hide with the other children.

"We can help fight, we're been trained as warriors," Arvid said firmly, a small part of him wanting to prove himself to Stoick.

But Snotlout shoved Arvid's shoulder and stood in front of him, "He may have been trained, but I was born a warrior."

Stoick just looked at the two of them for a moment, then he turned back to the table and picked up a strange looking axe. The stone head was bound to a thick stick with old rope, it looked very old and worn, and clearly not made by a professional like Gobber. To Arvid, it honestly looked more like someone had bashed two stones against each other until one became sharp enough to be considered an axe head.

"Take this," Stoick handed the handmade axe to Arvid. "It was Alvin's. But go with the others, you can help protect them." Arvid looked down at the axe Stoick had entrusted him with, he nodded and followed after Bucket and Mulch, Snotlout chasing just after him.

Hicca watched them go, she turned back to her father and caught his eye from across the fire pit. "Dad, let me go get the dragons," She pleaded with her father. "At least if we have them, we can defend ourselves."

Stoick paused for a moment then he gave a sigh and agreed, "Go. But be careful, you don't know what Alvin is capable of."

Hicca nodded with a small smile, she turned and ran out of the Great Hall. Stoick watched his daughter go, he honestly hoped that Hicca would never have to come into contact with a man like Alvin. But something's couldn't be controlled. "The rest of you: We'll head to the woods. Nobody knows that forest like we do," Stoick turned to the others in the hall.

"And when Alvin comes looking for us, he'll walk right into our trap," Gobber added with smirk.

Outside the Great Hall, Hicca quickly ran down the long steps of the great hall, the other villagers also heading out just after her. Hicca ran through the village towards the harbour, she'd have to sail all the way to Dragon Island, hopefully she would get there in time. At least be able to fly back on Toothless.

But just as she was reaching the edge of the village, she saw the bright orange glow of torches coming around the side of the houses. Alvin was already here. She turned and tried to circle around them, but the same ominous glow appeared in the other direction.

As the glow became brighter, Hicca dived under the porch of a nearby house, her small frame making it easy to wriggle under the wooden planks and out of sight. The large enemy Vikings mumbled to each other as they walked past, clearly looking for anyone in the village, but Hicca was able to stay out of sight. She watched them skulk by; waiting until they had passed and she could sneak out again.

But then she heard something, a chattering and jittering sound. Hicca slowly turned, only to find Fishlegs hiding right behind her. "Ah! Fishlegs!"

She was about to ask what he was doing there, but he shuffled closer, quickly shuttering to her. "Alvin's looking for you!" Hicca's eyes widened. "He's looking for the Dragon Conqueror."

The feeling of worry coursed through Hicca, Alvin was looking for her? What was he going to do if he didn't find her?

"Come on," Hicca shuffled out from under the wooden deck, they had to keep an eye on Alvin.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine where I am," Fishlegs muttered.

Hicca frowned at the larger blond, "Fishlegs, come on!"

Fishlegs slowly shuffled out and followed Hicca as she kept to the shadows and stalked after Alvin and his men.

They followed him until they reached the main plaza, they stayed low and listened to them. They found the remains of the armoury and looked through the ashes, Alvin picked up the twisted remains of a sword. "Looks like Stoick isn't as armed as we'd anticipated," Alvin commented with a smirk.

He made his way up the small flight of steps until they reach the front door of the chief's house. Alvin paused and thought for a moment, "Hmm... Should I knock? I mean, what's the etiquette in these situations?"

There was another pause, before Alvin kicked down the door, parts of the frame splintered as the main door clattered to the ground. Hicca felt a wave of worry as Alvin stepped inside the house, a feeling of sickness rising in her throat as Alvin invaded her home.

"Stoick! Show you face!" Alvin yelled to the empty house. When no answer came, Alvin frowned but gave a small chuckle, "The old coward's turned and run away."

Another outcast ran into the house to report to Alvin, "I spotted fresh tracks leading to the forest."

But another outcast reported to Alvin, "I spotted a big guy with a bucket on his head, he was heading towards the beach."

Alvin looked down the village towards the beach, "We'll split up. You four, you going to the woods," he told a small group of men.

"Where are we going?" Savage asked.

"We'll go to the beach," Alvin answered with a smirk. "How many hostages do you think a Dragon Conqueror is worth?"

Hicca and Fishlegs watched worriedly as Alvin's men separated into two groups, they shared a look and leaned heavily against the side of a house.

"What do we do now?" Fishlegs asked in a frantic whisper.

Hicca looked around the building and watched the men split up, Alvin and his group made their way towards the beach. Alvin was here for her, she couldn't let Arvid and the others get hurt because of her.

"Go to the woods and warn my father. I need to get ahead of Alvin and warn the others," With that, Hicca and Fishlegs separated. Fishlegs ran towards the forest while Hicca ran towards the beach, hoping she got there before Alvin and his men did.

/LINE BREAK/

Just behind the great cliffs that overlooked the village, Stoick and Gobber were setting a trap for Alvin at the edge of the forest. They didn't know that Alvin's men were already on their way, they certainly didn't know that Alvin himself was on his way to the beach.

"When they come looking for us, they'll have to come through here," Gobber noted.

Stoick nodded as he turned to where Gobber was sorting through the weapons that the other villagers had brought, it obviously wasn't much, but it was all they had aside from their bare fists. "Alright, what do we have?"

"Two frying pans, a rolling pin, and a kitchen knife," Gobber gestured to the assortment of tools on the ground.

Stoick frowned, that was a lot less than he'd originally thought, "And what are we going to do when Alvin gets here? Bake him a cake!?" Stoick yelled, clearly not understanding how Gobber could be so cheery.

"A pie would be too," Gobber said with a smirk. Stoick may not have been able to see the potential of the tools they had, but Gobber was a weapons expert, he could find a combat use for everything and anything. He picked up the small kitchen knife, throwing it into the air and catching the blade expertly in his hand.

Then Gobber turned and threw the knife towards a tall tree, the blade spun through the air and imbedded itself into the trunk. The metal wedged itself between the grains of the wood, forcing the wood to split. From that small blade, the tree split in two.

While Stoick and the other villagers watched in amazement, Gobber turned and gave a smirk, "That could be useful."

As they gathered the remaining weapons, Stoick thought about the others. He hoped that Hicca would return soon with the dragons to help, and that the young and old were safe in the caves. He had no idea that the group led by Bucket and Mulch had yet to reach the caves, or that they wouldn't get there at all.

On the other side of the island, the group of young and old had only just reached the beach. Mulch turned and did a head count as the people walked past him, just to make sure they weren't missing someone.

But unfortunately, they were, "Where's Bucket?"

A young Viking girl with tightly braided brunette hair shuffled closer, "He went to get my Lamby."

Lamby? Bucket had left his post... to go fetch a little girls stuffed toy sheep? That man was too kind for his own good. Mulch made sure everyone stayed at the beach, and left Arvid and the other teens to look after them.

He quickly started making his way back through the woods towards the village, grumbling to himself all the way. He suddenly stopped when a large figure stalked out of the shadows towards him... carrying a cuddle lamb toy over his shoulder?

Mulch let out a heavy sigh, "Uhg, Bucket! You had one job: Bring up the rear."

Bucket looked down at the shorted man with an apologetic look, "But the little girl! You should've seen the look on her face, big eyes with tears welling up."

Mulch gave a heavy sigh, how on earth was he supposed to stay angry at his friend? Mulch turned and started heading back towards the beach, gesturing for his friend to follow. But suddenly their path was blocked as spears were shoved in their faces. Mulch stumbled back, almost bumping into Bucket as he did so.

"You made it easy for us, Bucket." The two turned as a gravelled voice sounded from behind him, they came face to face with Alvin. "It's hard to miss a half-wit and his lamb."

Both Mulch and Bucket threw each other a worried look, Bucket had accidently led Alvin straight towards the people they were supposed to be protecting. If something were to happen to them, they could never forgive themselves.

At that moment, Hicca finally caught up to them.

She heard the commotion and hid behind a tree, watching quietly as Alvin shoved Mulch and Bucket towards the beach. She hadn't made it in time to warn them, now what was she going to do?

/LINE BREAK/ 

Meanwhile back in the forest, Gobber was spotted by the small group of Outcasts Alvin had sent. "There he is! Get Him!" They yelled as they gave chase.

But Gobber had one less arm and leg to weigh him down, "You'll never take me alive!" He yelled over his shoulder.

The blacksmith jump down into a small valley, but soon came face to face with a large stone wall. The Outcasts spread out and cornered him, all grinning and thinking they'd won. Gobber gave a sigh and raised his hands in surrender, "Looks like you got me."

But just as the outcasts raced forward to take Gobber down, an arm shot out of the bushes and hit one of them square in the face. Another was taken down by a hastily built bola, while Gobber wailed on the other with his mallet hand and wooden leg. Stoick took out the final one without even looking at him, his eyes scanning the scene for any more threats.

Just as the others were starting to relax, they heard the rustling of leaves in the nearby bushes. Stoick whispered to the others and gestured for them to circle around, while he gave chase. He didn't want to leave any of Alvin's men running around the island.

He spotted the lone figure from above as he stood on a rocky outcrop, he ran after them, timing his jump perfectly. Then he dived of the rocks and tackled the figure to the ground, raising his fist to punch the enemy and hopefully knock them out.

But a shrill frightened voice sounded, "Stoick! No!"

Thankfully Stoick pause and realised that it was actually Fishlegs in his grasp, "For the love of Thor, Fishlegs! I could have killed you!"

"Th-Thank you... For not killing me," Fishlegs muttered.

"What are you doing here?" Stoick asked as he stood. Fishlegs should have been at the beach caves with the others.

"Alvin the Treacherous is here, he looked really treacherous," Fishlegs stammered out. He'd already had one encounter with Alvin when he first arrived on Berk, the larger man had thrown him into the ocean when he'd started screaming. Thankfully, the larger boy was a good swimmer, his name was Fishlegs for a reason.

"I know he's here, Fishlegs," Stoick said with a grumbled sigh.

But Fishlegs' next words made Stoick's whole expression change, "Yeah... He's here for Hicca"

"Hicca?" Stoick face changed to worry in an instant. Alvin was after his daughter? For what reason, Stoick didn't know, but it didn't matter. Alvin was not touching a hair on his child's head, not while he was alive and breathing.

/LINE BREAK/

On the beach, Alvin and his men had surrounded the group of Hooligans. The old, the young, and the teenagers were all forced to listen to Alvin as he stood on a rock and addressed them.

"For those of you who haven't figures it out... I am the one and only Alvin the Treacherous. And let me be clear... that name was earned." The group exchanged worried looks with one another, while the twins were confused... as per usual. Alvin continued, "Your leader has abandoned you. But Stoick doesn't concern me, I'm not here for him. I want the Dragon Conqueror."

The group all froze for a moment, the teens also gave a shudder. They all knew who Alvin was referring to, but they wouldn't sell Hicca out... would they?

Mildew gave a crooked smirk, he leaned closer and whispered to Arvid, "Say goodbye to your little girlfriend. Alvin!" Mildew called out to the large threatening man, fully prepared to sell Hicca out.

Arvid wasn't about to let that happen. Before Mildew could say another word, he elbowed him in the face, not caring if he broke the old man's nose. Mildew stumbled a little before Arvid quickly caught him, just in time as Alvin turned to face them.

Arvid gave an innocent smile, pretending he hadn't just knocked out the older man. "My grandfather's frail. He needs his nap."

Thankfully Alvin didn't pick up on anything suspicious. As he turned back to the crowd, Arvid allowed Mildew to fall to the ground, not wanting to hold the old man up any longer. "Well, like I said... tell me who the Dragon Conqueror is, and you can all go free."

Snotlout gave a smirk, "Conqueror? I'll show Alvin who's a conqueror." Snotlout pulled out his small bludgeon, ready to attack Alvin while his back is turned. But Arvid held him back. Snotlout turned to him in question, "What are you doing?"

Again Arvid didn't answer, he stayed silent as he gripped the handle of the old axe that Stoick had given him. Alvin was after Hicca. The girl he truly cared about. If Alvin was planning on taking her away or worse, Arvid wouldn't allow that to happen.

In a split second, Arvid yanked the axe from his belt and threw it forward. Aiming straight for Alvin's head.

But this old hatchet wasn't like Arvid's own axe. The balance and weight weren't the same, and instead of imbedding into Alvin's head like Arvid had hoped, it fell short and to the left. Alvin turned and caught the weapon expertly, at the same time, two of his men swarmed Arvid and grabbed him.

"Will you look at that, my old hatchel. I was wondering when I'd get that back," Alvin turned just as his men shoved Arvid up on to the stone platform.

Alvin turned to the blond boy, noting the serious gaze and firm stance, it was obvious this boy was a fighter. "Trying to kill Alvin the Treacherous? You're not as smart as you look, boy. Tell me, who's your Dragon Conqueror?"

Arvid stayed silent, he didn't even look at Alvin or move a muscle as the large man circled him like a shark. But Alvin wasn't a patient man, he reached up and grabbed a fistful of Arvid's blond hair, yanking his head back and forcing a pained sound from the teen.

"Leave him alone!"

Everyone paused as a soft but firm female voice rang out. Alvin looked around confused, while Arvid's eyes widened, why was she here?

Hicca clambered over the rocks and made herself known. She had been trying to think of a plan whilst hiding behind the rocks, but when she'd heard Arvid's cry of pain, she couldn't just sit around any longer.

"I'm the Dragon Conqueror," Hicca stated firmly, glaring daggers at Alvin, who was still pulling on Arvid's hair.

But after a small pause, Alvin finally let go of the short blond strands as he and his men burst into laughter. "You? Stoick's little embarrassment?" When they'd thought of the great Dragon Conqueror, they had all been picturing a large, strong, scar covered warrior in their minds. Yet here in front of them stood a delicate flower, claiming to be the controller of all dragons.

Hicca clenched her fists as they laughed, but she held firm and stepped closer to Alvin, all the while trying not to let her voice shake. "I drove the dragons from Berk. Look around. You don't see any on this island, do you?"

She threw Arvid a small smile, silently asking him to play along. She did have a plan, and he trusted her. "It's true," Arvid spoke up. "All the dragons are afraid of her, she even conquered a Night Fury!"

Alvin paused for a moment, in all honesty, he hadn't seen any dragons on the island, not a single one. But this little girl couldn't have been the one to chase them all away... could she. The large man frowned, he shoved Arvid out of the way and stalked closer to Hicca, "You're bluffing."

As he loomed over Hicca showing off the obvious height difference between them, Hicca was forced to lean away from him, his rancid breath reeking havoc on her sense of smell. Still, she remained firm, "Am I? Well, there's only one way to find out. Take me to Dragon Island."

The threatening looking man leaned back and crossed his arms, "You've got guts, I'll say that much girl. But, if you're lying to me..." He didn't need to finish. The Outcast chief ordered a handful of his men to stay behind and keep an eye on the hostages, if Hicca was lying or tried to run away, he have them all killed.

As Hicca was dragged away by Alvin, she gave Arvid one last small smile over her shoulder. She hoped her plan would work.

/LINE BREAK/

After a little while, the handful of Outcasts that Alvin had ordered to stay behind on Berk, were still keeping a watchful eye on them. Arvid's thought were constantly flickering back and forth between protectiveness for everyone else on the beach, and Hicca who was currently in Alvin's grasp. Hopefully if Stoick could get to them soon, then they could go after him and rescue her, but for right now, they could only wait.

Just as the thought crossed Arvid's mind, the was sudden yelp from one of the outcasts, the other's turned, only to find that there one of them was missing. Another cry rang out, followed by a triumphant sound. The outcast on the ground was now laying face down in the sand, with Gobber standing over him. The final guard was just about to run and attack when he was suddenly shoved to the ground, he rolled onto his back, but a foot landed heavily on his chest.

Stoick loomed over the last fallen Outcast, his voice hard as stone. "Where's Alvin?" he asked, hoping he wasn't too late to stop Hicca from doing something stupid. But the Viking under Stoick's foot didn't answer, he just spat in the large chief's face. Stoick's blood pressure started to rise, he grabbed the Outcast by the neck and lifted him off the ground, ready to punch him in the face.

But Arvid stepped forward to stop him, they didn't have time for this, "Alvin took Hicca." Stoick turned to him with a worried look, "She gave herself up, they're on their way to Dragon Island."

Without even looking, Stoick dropped the Outcast and let Gobber knock him out with a swift blow to the top of the head. He stepped closer to Arvid, "You and the other riders are coming with me, if we can get to Dragon Island before Alvin, then you can find your dragons and help fight."

Of course Arvid and the others agreed, nothing was going to stop Arvid from getting Hicca back.

/LINE BREAK/

In the waters between Berk and Dragon Island, the sun was just starting to rise, and Alvin's ship was making steady progress. The ship was a standard long ship shape, with a Monsters Nightmare skull for a figure head, and spears and sharp blades sticking out of the front and back of the ship. Two of the Outcasts were holding spears to keep Hicca in place, while Alvin himself paced in front of her.

"I'm sure you're father's told you plenty about you island's most feared enemy," He stated proudly.

Hicca had heard her father mention Alvin before, but she decided to mess with Alvin a little, just to test his reaction. "Who? Oh right, you." She paused, pretending to think about it, "No. Not so much."

To say Alvin looked disappointed would be an understatement, "Really? Not a word?"

"Nope," Hicca answered picking at some dirt under her nail.

"Nothing?"

"Uh-uh."

"Nothing about Alvin?"

"Nope," Hicca paused for a moment to fix her pony tail. Then she stepped forward confidently, brushing aside the spears that Alvin's men were pointing at her, "Look, 'Al'. All I care about, is that if I do what you want, you will leave the people of Berk in peace."

Alvin leaned back and gave a gravelled laugh, "On me word, sweetheart."

Hicca really didn't like the way Alvin spoke, it just made her feel uncomfortable. But hopefully when they got to Dragon island, her plan would work and she could get to Toothless.

A short distance behind them, just off the coast of Berk, Stoick and the others were chasing after Alvin. Thankfully, the ships still had a couple of small catapults on board, at least they would have some cover while the teens found their dragons.

But Alvin had a head start, and he reached Dragon Island before them. The Outcast chief jumped off of the ship and dragged Hicca with him, once they were both on solid ground, Alvin shoved her forward, holding a sword to her back to keep her moving.

She gave a yelp as the weapon poked her in the back, "Hey, is the sword really necessary?"

Alvin was about to answer, when something bigger caught his attention, "Odin's ghost!"

Hicca faced forward, unable to stop the large grin that spread across her face. In front of them was the large mountain that the Red Death had once resided in, and in its side was the large hole that Stoick and the other's had made. From within the rocks, Toothless jumped forth, the sound and smell of his rider quickly waking him from his short rest.

"Is that a...?" Alvin's jaw hung open, he'd never seen a Night Fury with his own eyes before.

"It's a Night Fury," Hicca told him. "The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself!"

For once, Alvin was unsure of what to do. But his men went on the offensive, raising their crossbows at the ready if Toothless made a move. Hicca jumped in front of them, silently hoping they wouldn't shoot her to get to Toothless.

"Stop! It will only make him angrier," she told them firmly. She took a few steps backwards, "Watch and learn."

Alvin quirked an eyebrow at the girl's confidence, "By all means, proceed." He then turned to his men with a small smirk, "I hope you're not squeamish. You about to see that girl get ripped apart by a dragon."

Toothless had been a little worried to see the unfamiliar men alongside Hicca, but once she started to approach him, he soon forgot about them. He leapt forward and jumped onto Hicca, pushing her down and licking her face excitedly. The Outcasts of course never imagined the possibility that the dragon was being playful, so they all gave a gasp as Hicca was pinned down by the ebony dragon.

But Toothless would never hurt Hicca, he was overjoyed to see her, and licked her face happily. Hicca gave a quiet laugh, she had missed Toothless just as much. But she was still aware of Alvin and his men watching them, they had to put on a good show. "I missed you too," she whispered. "But we'll have to catch up later. Right now, follow my lead."

Hicca pushed on Toothless's nose and quickly stood, then she gestured for him to follow, leading him around the small outcrop of rocks to where she had left his saddle. All the while speaking loudly so that Alvin could hear, "You cannot defeat me! You dirty dragon! I am the Dragon Conqueror!"

But the longer she stayed hidden from view, the more suspicious Alvin became. "Hey, what are you doing with that dragon!?" He yelled to her.

Just as he and his men started to advance, Hicca emerged from the rocks. But this time she was riding on top of the Night Fury, holding onto his reins and her foot attached to his tail control, while Toothless spread his wings and let out an intimidating growl. "By the way," she called to Alvin, "It's not 'Dragon Conqueror', it's 'Dragon Trainer'."

Toothless suddenly leaped towards Alvin, his growls growing in volume. But just as the Outcast chief was about to bring his sword down onto the dragon and his rider, Hicca snapped the peddle into position, and Toothless took off.

They soared over Alvin's head and into the sky, leaving Alvin and his men to star upwards in amazement. "Great thunder of Thor! She is the Dragon Conqueror!" Alvin soon got over his amazement and yelled to his men, "Don't just stand there! Fire!"

The Outcasts that had remained on the ship all loaded the catapults and aimed at Toothless firing huge boulders into the sky. Thankfully, Toothless was more than agile enough to dodge them, if just barely. But the sudden dynamic movements made Hicca's head spin, she held on to Toothless for dear life and willed the nauseas feeling in her stomach to settle down.

"What are you waiting for!? Shoot her down!" Alvin yelled at his men. They abandoned their catapults and instead armed their crossbows, a flurry of arrows launched into the sky and headed straight for Hicca and Toothless. But they were coming in too quick for Toothless to dodge or fire at them, instead he at least tried to turn his body so that Hicca wouldn't be hit.

But just as the arrows grew closer, a sudden shot of fire zoomed past them, taking out the arrows as it did so.

Hicca's head was still spinning slightly, but the sight of Arvid on the back of Stormfly soon made the nauseas feelings go away, and instead, a large smile broke out across her face. She flew alongside and called out to him, "What took you so long?"

Arvid quirked a eyebrow and gave a smirk, "Why, did you miss me?" His smile grew as a blush spread across Hicca's cheeks.

"Hicca!" Snotlout yelled from behind them.

After dodging a couple more flying boulders, Hicca and Arvid were able to join the other teens on their dragons. Hicca also spotted her father and Gobber in their own ship bellow, now they had a fighting chance against Alvin.

"Aim for their catapults!" Stoick called to Gobber. "If we knock them out, the dragons can finish off the ship."

Gobber nodded, and the two of them loaded and fired their own catapults, imminently taking out some of Alvin's own artillery and a couple of his men. The Outcast chief growled in annoyance, he hadn't been expect Stoick so soon. "Move off shore!" He ordered.

A handful of outcasts pulled out the long oars at the side on the ship, pushing the ship off the beach and into the open water. Hicca and the others dived down to distract Alvin while her father and Gobber reloaded the catapults.

But the Outcast chief saw an opportunity as the teens flew closer, "Shoot that dragon down!" He yelled to his men, pointing straight at Arvid and Stormfly. The remaining catapults fired again, and most of the dragons were able to dodge the flying rocks. But as Stormfly spun to avoid the boulder, Arvid lost his grip on her reins, and fell onto the Outcast ship.

"Arvid!" Hicca yelled out as she watched the boy fall.

He hit some ropes and then the mast, before finally landing heavily in an empty crate. The crash landing jolted his shoulder, but the blond pushed through the pain and shoved the crate off of him. He stood shakily and ran to the side of the ship, calling out for Hicca and waving at her.

But before Hicca and Toothless could reach Arvid, Alvin strode forward. He grabbed Arvid's arm and yanked him back onto the deck, "Welcome aboard, Arvid." Alvin's smirk was back in place, he now realised the 'relationship' between the Hooligan Heiress and the blond, maybe he could use it to his advantage.

Another wave of arrows flew through the sky towards Hicca and Toothless, forcing them to veer off to the left instead of rescuing Arvid. They circled round and regrouped with the others, "Hold your fire! He's got Arvid!"

But he yell came a little too late for Snotlout and Hookfang, as the Nightmare spat out a long stream of liquid fire. The magma came very close to licking the side of the ship, but thankfully stopped just short, hitting the water instead and giving off a huge plume of steam.

"What are you doing!?" Hicca yelled at her cousin. If something happened to Arvid because Snotlout didn't listen, she'd never forgive him.

"I heard you say 'fire'!" Snotlout yelled back.

"I said, 'Hold your fire'!"

"See? You said it again!"

Before the yelling between the two could escalate any further, they both heard Stoick yelling up at them, "No, he's right! All of you, fire again!"

Hicca frowned and tried to see why her father wanted them to fire, she looked down at the water and saw the steam rising from Hookfang's blast. That's it, if they created enough steam, they could sneak up on Alvin.

"Everyone! Fire into the water!"

One by one, the dragons fired into the water. Barf spewed out a long stream of green smoke, while Belch sparked and ignited it, then Meatlug spat out a ball of lava, followed by another stream of liquid fire from Hookfang.

More and more steam started to rise from the surface of the water, floating around the Outcast ship and forcing Alvin and his men to take a step back at the heat. They couldn't see anything around the ship, only the ghostly shadows of the dragons as they flew in the air.

"Fire!" Alvin yelled as another ship passed by, keeping a firm grip on Arvid's shoulder while holding a sword to his neck to stop him from escaping.

"At what?" His men asked, they couldn't see anything through the steam.

"Everything!" He roared, the sheer volume making Arvid wince.

In all honesty, the Outcast men were starting to get a little freaked out. They couldn't see anything and just started firing at anything that moved, becoming paranoid of every shadow, almost hitting each other with their arrows.

They fired again when they spotted the terrifying head of a dragon moving through the fog towards them, but even when Alvin threw his sword at the dragon, the blade just imbedded themselves into the wooden figure head. Arvid smirked and prepared himself as the Hooligan ship suddenly rammed into the side of Alvin's ship, Alvin stumbled backwards but was able to lean against the side of the ship, his men however were thrown overboard.

Arvin seized an opportunity and grabbed one of the oars leaning against the side of the ship, he swung and hit Alvin in the face, then again in the stomach. Arvin then leapt to the side, just in time as they heard a high pitched screech, Alvin turned but was too late to react as Toothless came barrelling into him, knocking him to the other end of the ship.

"Arvid, hop on!" Hicca called out, she steered Toothless around and swooped down a second time. This time, Arvid ran over and jumped onto Toothless's saddle, clambering on behind Hicca and holding on tightly.

Alvin was about to run after them when another loud thud sounded behind him, he turned just in time for Stoick's fist to punch him square in the face. Alvin fell back as Stoick cracked his knuckles, anger written clear on his face, "You're a coward for taking my daughter."

Alvin glared back at him as he stood, "I take what I want! You know that, Stoick!" He aimed a punch at the Hooligan chief, but Stoick caught it in his hand. Stoick tried to return the favour, but Alvin caught his fist in return.

The tow pushed against each other, testing their strength. Then Alvin suddenly kicked out, hitting Stoick in the stomach, he pulled his fist back and swung at Stoick's head, but missed. Stoick stayed low and punched Alvin in the stomach, then he swung his other fist up and connected with Alvin's jaw. As the Outcast fell onto the deck, Stoick turned and started heading back, thinking the fight was over, but a metal scrapping sound caught his attention.

He turned around only to be struck with an anchor, the heavy metal struck his face, leaving a large mark on his face and knocking him to the ground. Alvin gripped the rope of the anchor and swung it around hoping to strike Stoick again. But he was able to dodge once again, the anchor struck the figure head instead, leaving a large gouge in the wood.

Stoick stomped on the wood, hoping to stop another attack. But Alvin whipped the rope out from under his foot, making Stoick fall once more. Alvin swung the rope over his head and brought the anchor down hard, aiming right for Stoick's head. The Hooligan chief was barely able to move his head out of the way in time, he shifted again to dodge another blow, and was finally able to roll onto his front and stand up. Alvin swung the anchor again, this time the metal imbedded into the wooden figure head, the cracks in the wood growing larger.

Stoick grabbed the rope and yanked Alvin forwards, he flicked the rope around several times, binding the Outcasts' hands together. Alvin was frozen for a moment, giving Stoick a chance to strike, punching him square in the face. But when Alvin jerked on the rope, it pulled on the figure head, and the wood finally gave way.

The heavy figure head snapped away from the rest of the ship and plunged into the water, yanking on the rope and pulling Alvin along with it. The Outcast was pulled past Stoick so quickly that the Hooligan chief actually lost sight of him as he fell over the side of the ship. Stoick looked over the side, but all he saw was ripples in the water.

For a moment, Stoick actually felt worried for the man he'd just been fighting, but he soon snapped back to current situation.

He rushed over to where the two ships were still connected, and pushed on the figure head, making sure the ships were separated before jumping back aboard. He looked into the air and spotted Hicca and the others still air born, "Now, Hicca! Burn the ship!"

Toothless, Stormfly, Hookfang, Barf and Belch, and Meatlug all swooped in and blasted the ship with everything they had. It was only a matter of seconds before a large plume of fire erupted forth, and the ship collapsed in on itself, it sank quickly.

Finally, Hicca and the others were able to land back on the ship, the fight was finally over. But Hicca still had to deal with her father, Stoick wasn't happy.

"Hicca, what were you thinking?" He strode towards her, a frantic look on his face. All he ever wanted was for Hicca to be safe, but she didn't make it easy, when she was willing to give herself up in order to keep others safe.

Hicca dismounted and stood next to Toothless, "I was thinking... All I needed to do was to get to Toothless. Then we'd be able to make things right."

Stoick gave a sigh, so long as she was safe, and Alvin was gone, that's all that mattered. He turned to look at the remains of the Outcast ship, he doubted Alvin was gone for good. He had set his sights on the dragons and he wouldn't stop until he got them.

As the Hooligan ship sailed away, a figure dragged himself up onto the shore of Dragon Island. Alvin gave a few gasping breaths, he would've drowned if he hadn't managed to untangle himself from the ropes. He turned and looked out at the horizon, watching at the silhouettes of the dragons disappeared into the mist.

The other Outcasts also watched the Hooligan ship sail away, leaving them stranded on the island. But they all turned when they heard Alvin give a dark chuckle.

"They ride dragons!" He exclaimed. "We get that girl, and we'll ride dragons." Alvin immediately started planning in his head, his new target was the daughter of chief Stoick, the heiress to the Hairy Hooligan tribe, Hicca.

/LINE BREAK/

As the ship finally returned to Berk, the dragons and their riders were greeted by the cheering villagers. They were all happy to see them safe, and to have the dragons back home. It had only been a couple of days, but they had all felt the strange quite around the village, they'd actually missed the great big thundering beasts. But now they were home, and the dragons were happy to be back as well.

However, not everyone was please to see the dragons again. "What are you all cheering about? Don't you remember what these beasts did!?" Mildew yelled at the crowd as he stood on the large steps leading down to the docks. All of his hard work to get them banished, and the dragons were back already.

"I do," Stoick said, surprising the old man. "They saved our lives." He glared at the old man, stopping him before he could say another word. Then he stepped away, leaving Hicca to face Mildew, she had some words of her own for him.

"And I may not be able to prove what you did, but I will never forget it." She gave Mildew the same glare her father had giving him, then she followed Stoick up the steps to their home, Toothless padding alongside her. After the long day she'd had, all she wanted was to go to sleep.

 _It's funny how an attack by your greatest enemy can change things overnight. I set out to prove that our dragons would never hurt us... What they proved, is that they will always protect us._

End of episode 6.

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 **I really liked is episode, first appearance of Alvin, who I really like as a villain (The fact that he's voiced by Luke Skywalker is also a bonus) :) Let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	7. How to Pick your Dragon

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Yes, I'm still alive :) I'm so so sorry this chapter took me so long, it's been a very busy week. With the Easter holidays, work still flowing, upcoming birthdays and moving around a lot, I've had a lot on my plate :/ But I'm still here, I promise I won't abandon you all :)**

 **Chapter 7 here :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 07**

 **How to Pick your Dragon**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _Here on Berk, we've always done things one way: the Viking way. But since the dragons came, the Viking way has become... well... the hard way. Unfortunately, some people, like my father, still refuse to change_

It was foggy that morning, almost ominous looking. It was hard to see anything beyond the docks, Hicca was only able to make out the ship once it finally docked. They flew closer and Toothless landed, just in time to see her father and the other men pulling the ship closer to the. The giant hole in the side was bad enough, but the mast was also cracked, the sail was torn, and the figure head looked like it was barely hanging on.

"It's that rogue dragon again. That's the second boat this week he's destroyed," she heard Gobber complain. It was one of the few times Hicca heard him sound frustrated.

"Well, we lost another whole catch." He father scowled at the ship, "We could have saved it if we'd gotten there sooner."

Hicca raised an eyebrow at her father, and nodded her head to Toothless, "I know how you could have gotten there sooner."

Stoick gave a sigh, "Here we go again."

"If you'd flown on a dragon, you could have been there in five minutes, instead of two hours. And you might even have been able to chase that rouge dragon away for good."

Stoick threw a broken piece of wood back onto the ship and turned to face Hicca fully, "As the chief of Berk, I do things the Viking Way. Not the Dragon Way."

"Well the Viking Way is costing us a lot of fish and almost as many boats," Hicca pointed out. This was only their second boat this week, but it was their sixth boat in total.

Gobber stepped beside Hicca, "The girl's got a point. If you were on a dragon you could protect this island from a lot of things. Even Alvin." The blacksmith was on Hicca's side, but he knew how to push Stoick's buttons in the right order.

Stoick took a second and genuinely thought about the idea. As soon as Gobber had mentioned Alvin, the memories of their last encounter came flooding back. The threats to their island and it's people were growing, and he wanted to protect them. But at the same time, he heard Gobber's words more than Hicca's.

"You're right Gobber. Alvin knows we have dragons, and he'll be back eventually."

Hicca just gave a sigh as Gobber spoke up, "You saw what those dragons did, they had Alvin on the run. Imagine if you were the one commanding them," he pushed more of Stoick's buttons as he gestured to Toothless.

It seemed to work, and Stoick followed Gobber back up the hill. Leaving Hicca standing on the deck rolling her eyes. Sometimes it was easy to sway her father, just so long as it was Gobber and not her.

"I can see it now," The blond continued to stroke the chief's ego. "A proud chief ruling his domain aboard a fearsome fire-breathing reptile, it gives me goose bumps." Gobber shuddered his shoulders for emphasis.

"That's what I've been trying to-" Hicca tried to speak up, only to be interrupted by her father. Nothing new there.

"Gobber's right." But just as Hicca was about to give another sigh, Stoick suddenly turned his full attention to her, "I need to learn to fly. When do we start the lessons?"

He father... Stoick the Vast... the most stubborn man to ever live... was willing to learn how to fly on a dragon? Hicca felt a little faint at the thought.

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca asked her father to meet her on the cliffs near the Academy at midday, she needed to prepare some things if she was going to teach her father how to ride a dragon. Namely Toothless.

The one thing she definitely needed to change was Toothless's saddle, there was no way her father's huge foot was going to fit in the small peddle designed for her small metal leg.

"Alright, I've made a new stirrup so you'll be able to control Toothless," She said as she tightened the hinge.

Her father nodded, but then turned to Toothless with a scowl. "You hear that? It's me that's supposed to be controlling you," He told the Night Fury firmly.

While Toothless tilted his head in confusion, Hicca stepped forward with z worried look. "Dad, before you get on a dragon you've got to how him he can trust you."

"He already trusts me, I'm his chief," He stated proudly.

Hicca gave a sigh, she really need to teach her father just how different the dragons were. "It's very simple, just give me your hand."

Hicca held out her hand to Stoick, but he just looked down at it with a small awkward frown. He wasn't exactly comfortable with hand holding, even when Hicca was a little girl, it wasn't exactly normal for the chief to be leading his heir around by the hand, so Stoick had tried to avoid it at all cost.

"I didn't come here to hold hands, Hicca," He said sternly with his hands on his hips.

But Hicca just gave him a small smile, she wanted to show her father what had first connected her and Toothless, and to understand him the way she did. At the very least, she was hoping that her father would at least understand the dragons better.

She took her father's large hand in both of hers, and gently tugged it forward, she also gestured for Toothless too come closer. Slowly but surely, Hicca moved her father's hand over the dragon's snout, holding it there until Toothless pressed his snout against the chief's palm.

"You feel that?" Hicca asked, exited to see the interaction between her father and best friend.

But her father pulled his hand away with a frown, "Yep, still dry and scaly."

"That's not what I meant," Hicca stated, resisting the urge to slap her forehead.

She wasn't sure if her father's eagerness was a good thing or a bad thing after that, it seemed he was exited to learn how to ride a dragon, but at the same time, he wanted to skip over the lessons themselves.

Reluctantly, Hicca gestured for him to get on Toothless's saddle, giving the dragon a scratch under the chin as his full weight of her father settled on top of him. Toothless gave a gurgle a Hicca also climbed on, it wasn't too much for him, but it was a lot more than he was used to.

"We'll start out nice and slowly," Hicca said as she sat behind her father, only just able to see over his shoulder. "Just give him a little nudge when you want-"

Hicca didn't get a chance to finish. As it turns out her father's 'nudge', was more of a kick. Toothless gave an angry warble and rocketed into the air, forcing Stoick to grip his reins, as Hicca gasped his tunic just as tightly.

"I said nudge!" Hicca screamed as she almost fell from Toothless's back.

"That was my nudge!" Stoick yelled back.

Toothless flew straight up, then arched in the air and swooped down just as fast, causing Hicca to leave the saddle completely, thank the gods she was holding on to her father. As the rapidly descended, Hicca clambered up to call to her father.

"Just remember; the tail controls everything!"

"I know that!" Her father retorted again.

As Hicca rolled her eyes at her father's stubbornness, she looked forward to see Toothless diving towards an outcrop of sea stacks.

"Then why are you heading for that rock!?" She yelled.

"Because you're distracting me!" He yelled back.

"Just open the-"

"Tail! I know!"

Stoick twisted his foot in Toothless's peddle, trying to find the right angle to make the tail fin open fully. Finally he pushed the peddle open and forced the fin to fully extend. Toothless was able to sail over the rock and down the other side, but they were still surrounded by rock towers.

"Left! Left!" Hicca directed, but they started spinning instead. "No, no, your other left!"

"Dragon's fault," Stoick blamed Toothless. But even the Night Fury was getting dizzy by this point, and it didn't help matters when they crashed into a rock, Toothless only just managing to push off of it instead of hitting it full force.

"You gonna blame that on the dragon too, Dad?" Hicca scowled.

"Yep," her father answered simply.

They banked and twisted in the air anything but gracefully, then they came crashing down again.

"Slow down!"

"I'm trying!"

The two yelled as Toothless shot down the side of a sea stack, heading straight for the water bellow. At the very last second, Stoick was able to find the right angle of the peddle allowing Toothless to pull up and sail along the surface of the water.

Stoick gave a smug look, "See?"

But Hicca had her face pressed again her father's back, "Actually, no. I had my eyes closed." She couldn't bear this much longer, but the ride still wasn't over as they now headed for the beach. "You're coming in too hard!" She called. "Open the tail! With your foot!"

"I am opening the tail!" Stoick pressed down hard on the peddle in emphasis. Or at least, what he thought was the peddle.

"That's my leg, Dad!"

Toothless braced for impact and slammed his feet into the sand, forcing himself into a roll and throwing the humans off of his back. Stoick landed with a heavy thud and rolled a short distance, while Hicca bounced and eventually came to a stop on her front.

Toothless shakily rolled onto his front and righted himself, the look on his face reminding Hicca of someone with motion sickness. He slowly plodded closer to her and gave her a tired pleading look, as if he was asking: 'Can we go home now.'

Hicca gave him an apologetic look as she whispered to him, "I am so sorry."

Toothless didn't look happy, and neither did Stoick for that matter. The chief readjusted his helmet and stood up, stomping across the sand away from Toothless and Hicca.

"Dad? Where are you going?"

Her father gave an angry sigh, "I'm done with this, Hicca! I've got a village to look after."

Hicca had a feeling this would happen. Her father wasn't the type to give up, far from it. But he wasn't going to waste his time training and learning something new that he didn't feel was important or necessary, this failed attempt at flying had only proven to him that flying dragons just wasn't for him.

But as Stoick stomped away, ready to go back to his duties, he came face to face with a large cliff wall. They were on a separated part of the beach, and there was no way of climbing such a rocky expanse. He sighed and turned to Hicca with a frown, not liking the situation at all.

"I'll need a ride home," he admitted.

Hicca and Toothless looked at each other with a knowing look, this really hadn't gone as planned, but at the same time, they also weren't surprised with the outcome.

But as Hicca took the reins and he father mounted Toothless behind her, a small idea formed in her head. Maybe there was something else she could try, she just needed to show her father just how useful the dragons could be.

Toothless took off into the air again, but this time at a much gentler pace, allowing Hicca and Stoick to actually relax a little. But as they drew closer to the village, Hicca kept Toothless flying steady, until the past straight over the houses and towards the forest.

"This isn't the way home," Stoick said in warning, he didn't like surprises.

Hicca gave a small smile as Toothless started to climb, making gentle spins as he did so. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride, we're taking the scenic route!"

"Right now my lunch is taking the scenic route into my throat!" Stoick had clearly had enough of flying for one day, he just wanted to get his feet back on solid ground.

Hicca took a deep breath, she steered Toothless towards the fields and trying again to convince her father. "Dad, just think about how much easier your chiefing can be on the back of a dragon."

But Stoick was just growing more annoyed, "I prefer to be down on the-" But to Hicca's surprise, Stoick stopped himself. He had spotted something on the farms bellow. "Wait. What's going on down there?" Hicca also looked down towards the farms bellow. She saw all the life stock in the field, but for some reason, all of the yaks were on their side. "Some genius has been yak-tipping again."

Hicca rolled her eyes, three guesses for who on the island was dumb enough to be doing such a thing.

As they flew low over the field, Toothless spotted a figure duck behind a stack of barrels. He fired a plasma blast and sent the barrels flying, revealing the two culprits hiding behind them. Ruffnut and Tuffnut, what a surprise.

"Make that geniuses," Stoick corrected himself. "I want every one of those yaks back on its feet," he yelled down to them.

Hicca winced at the volume of her dad's bellow, but then she turned with a smile on her face, "Nice chiefing, Dad! Let's see what else we can get done today."

Hicca and Toothless spent the rest of the day helping Stoick perform his chiefing duties. Getting around the village took half the time it usually took and Stoick was finally starting to see the benefits of riding dragons, Hicca's plan was starting to work.

One of the final tasks on Stoicks list, was getting rid of some wild boars that had invaded Mildew field. The boars were becoming a bit of a problem in the forest, but thanks to the dragons, they never came too close to the village.

They flew around the mountain and spotted the boars, gorging themselves on Mildew's cabbages.

Hicca patted Toothless on the neck, "Toothless, fire!"

The Night Fury let out a blast and scattered the boars, keeping right behind them and herding them away from the field.

"Fire again, dragon!" Stoick ordered excitedly.

Hicca raised an eyebrow at her father, "Dad, the boars are gone."

"Who cares? I like the sound it makes."

Hicca shook her head but gave a smile, her plan really was working, but there was one more thing she wanted to try. "Takes us up, bud," she turned to her father with a knowing smile. "There's something else I want you to see."

Up in the sky, they continued to climb higher, Stoick was growing a little worried, they were even higher than Gothi's mountain top home. But as they rose through the clouds, they finally broke through the top layer, and Stoick saw a sight that truly amazed him.

Gone were the foggy greys, browns and greens. Above the clouds opened up a bright world of purples, pinks, blues, and yellows. In the deep blue of the sky, shooting stars raced above them, flying even higher than them and leaving white hot trails as they flew. Stoick had never seen anything like it before in his life.

He had only ever seen this world from bellow, where he thought it was nothing more than a sea of white and grey sky. But he had been wrong. Everything here looked soft and almost comforting, there was no gloomy fog, only bright sun and warm colours.

They slowly made their decent and watched as the island came into view, basking in the warm colours of sunset. Stoick had seen the sunset many times before, but this... it was beautiful. The seas looked calmer, the trees and fields looked greener, and everything looked at peace.

"I've spent my entire life on Berk," Stoick said aloud. "Climbed it's hills, explored it's forests, swam it's waters. I've travelled every inch. But I never thought I'd see it like this."

Hicca smiled up at her father. He now longer looked angry or even worried, he looked calm and almost... happy. It was good to see a smile on his face, and it was just as nice to know that he loved this sight just as she did. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

She'd been expecting an agreement, or maybe even still stunned silence. But Stoick's response surprised her. "No, it's more than that Hicca. Look at them. All of my people. Everyone is safe. It's a good feeling."

Hicca didn't say anything for a moment, she just watched her father as he watched over the village. He saw this view not just as an ordinary person, but as a chief. A chief who loved and cared for his people. Hicca had wanted to show him this, to hopefully help him understand the dragons and even her a little better. But instead, maybe she could take this opportunity to understand him.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, Hicca woke up much later than usually, but she wasn't going to complain about a lie in. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and looked across her room to see if Toothless was also awake.

He wasn't sleeping, in fact he wasn't in his bed at all, he was gone.

Hicca got out of bed and quickly attached her metal leg, she slipped on her other boot and tied her hair into its usual ponytail, all the while she looked around the house and called out for Toothless. At the same time, she noticed that he dad was also absent. This came as no surprise seeing how early he normally awoke, but why did she have such a bad feeling now?

She walked down the stairs and stepped outside in search of her dragon. Only to be greeted with the sight of Toothless flying past the house at breakneck speed, with Stoick holding on to his back.

"Dad!?" Hicca was stunned still as she watched her father trying to control the Night Fury. Crashing into other people's rooftops along the way, no doubt alerting other villagers that something was definitely amiss. The sight was both unexpected and a little disturbing.

Finally Toothless landed in front of the chief's house, and Stoick jumped off with a spring in his step, Toothless on the other hand looked haggard already, just how long had Stoick been riding him?

"Uh, Dad, what are you doing on Toothless?" Hicca asked, still stuttering from surprise.

"Oh, we've been all over Berk. Chiefing has never been so easy," Stoick said proudly and excitedly.

Hicca looked over to Toothless worriedly, he was taking the chance to lay down for a quick rest. "But Dad, Toothless is my dragon." It was weird at first seeing her father riding Toothless, true she had been the one who wanted him to ride dragons in the first place, but not on her dragon. She felt almost... possessive of Toothless.

But Stoick didn't notice his daughters frown or her distress. "You picked a good one," he commented as her walked towards the house. "Just came in to grab my hatchet. We're helping Jorgensen break down a fence. "

"Yeah, that, that's great," Hicca stuttered as she tried again, "But you need to understand that Toothless is-"

As per usual, Stoick interrupted her. "Oh you're right. I don't need my hatchet, Toothless can just blow that fence down with a fireball." Stoick gave a laugh as mounted Toothless again patting him on the head as he ordered him to get up.

Toothless gave a whimper at the weight on his back he stood slowly and looked up at Hicca pleadingly. She stepped closer and stroked his jaw, "Don't worry, bud. I'll fix this."

The Night Fury just gave another warble and took off once more, Stoick let out a loud laugh as they rocketed into the air. Well at least her father was getting better at flying.

All Dad Stoick flew Toothless around, pushing the dragon hard. Rounding up cattle, lifting heavily loads, transporting goods around the island, going back and forth across the island, it seemed like it would never end. But finally as the sun began to set, Stoick flew Toothless home and landed outside the house.

The Night Fury landed heavily and gurgled as Stoick dismounted, promising to do it all again tomorrow.

On the small hill near the great stone steps leading up to the great hall, Hicca watched with Arvid by her side. She honestly didn't know what to do, and hoped the blond could give her some advice. She watched as Toothless slumped tiredly to the ground, all of his strength leaving the once powerful Night Fury.

"You see that?" Hicca gestured to her tired friend as she spoke to Arvid. "That's what it looks like to be ridden all day by a 4 hundred pound man."

Arvid leaned against the stone steps and they watched Toothless, "At least you got your Dad on a dragon."

Hicca nodded, her initial plan had in fact worked, but now there was a new problem. "Yeah, now I just need to figure out how to get him off one."

The two started making their way down the stone steps back towards the village, while Arvid tried to think of a way to help Hicca. "Why don't you give him the old 'Honey and The Hatchet'?"

Hicca raised an eyebrow at him, a clear sign she had no idea what he was talking about.

Arvid tried to explain, "You know, you tell him something he wants to hear, that's the 'Honey' part, Before you hit him in the head with something he doesn't. You know, 'The Hatchet'." As Arvid spoke, he punched Hicca in the arm to emphasis his point.

Despite her arm stinging a little from Arvid's punch, Hicca she still gave him a smile, "Why does your advice always involve weapons?"

Arvid gave a small chuckle, he gave a knowing look as he tilted his head to the side, his short blond hair swaying as he did so. How did that look always make her blush?

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning, Hicca awoke to the sound of her father calling for Toothless. She walked downstairs and found her father searching around the living space.

Stoick spotted her, "Where's Toothless?" No 'Good morning, Hicca,' just straight to the important matter. Well at least her father was actually referring to Toothless by his actual name, and not just 'Dragon' of 'Night Fury', that seemed like a good thing.

Hicca was about to roll her eyes, but then she spotted Toothless. Said dragon was curl up and hiding in the rafters, a worried look on his face as he tried to hide his huge form. "Ah, I don't know..." Hicca turned back to Stoick, now seemed as good a time as any to try Arvid's plan. "By the way, dad. D-Did you do something with your beard? It looks great." This would go a lot better if Hicca actually knew how to lie.

But Stoick quickly caught on. He frowned at Hicca with his hands on his hips, "Alright, you've given me the 'Honey', now just give me 'The Hatchet'."

Wow, either Arvid and her father really were alike, or she really was bad at this. Hicca gave a sigh, "Look, Dad. You can't just keep taking Toothless. He's mine."

Thankfully, the straightforward approach worked. Her father nodded, "Alright that seems fair. So, find me one."

Okay... she hadn't been expecting that. "Uh, sorry?"

"Find me a dragon as good as Toothless. That shouldn't be hard for the Head of the Berk Dragon Training Academy."

Hicca just paused for a moment. Right...

/LINE BREAK/

A little while later, Hicca had managed to gather all of the other riders and their dragons at the academy. They all lined up in front of Stoick ready for him to chose a dragon of his own.

It wasn't going well.

Stoick had been burnt by Hookfang, attacked by Stormfly's spines, witnessed Barf and Belch blow each other up, and grew a little uncomfortable watching Meatlug and Fishlegs.

Each of the teens had a connection to their dragon, and it was unique for all of them. Snotlout and Hookfang were strong together, even though they did annoy each other from time to time. Astrid and Stormfly for a formidable duo, and respected each other. The twins, Barf and Belch did wreak havoc together, but they also fought just as all siblings did. While Fishlegs and Meatlug loved each other deeply.

Even Hiccup and Toothless shared a connection of respect and understanding. But there was no dragon to suit Stoick. At least no dragon they knew of... yet.

Just as Stoick and Hicca were about to give up, Gobber ran into the academy, a frantic look on his face. "Stoick! Another boat is being attacked! It's that rouge dragon again."

For the most part, Stoick forgot about picking a new dragon, his attention now focused on getting to the ship in distress. But he and Hicca rushed over to Toothless at the same time, both of them ready to take the lead. As both of their feet touched the main peddle, they both seemed to remember about the other.

Stoick didn't say anything, leaving Hicca to back down. "Oh... right... What was I thinking." Hicca stepped aside and allowed her father to take the lead and control Toothless. "At least he blocks the wind," She muttered as she got on behind him.

Toothless took off into the air, and flew out towards the open ocean where the fishing boat was reported being attacked. It didn't take them long to get there, and it looked like they were just in time.

Bucket and Mulch were defending the ship as best they could, but the rouge dragon was a tidal class, and circled the ship below the surface of the ocean. As the two men started to lower their guard, thinking the dragon had left, a loud splash sounded behind them.

A large watery blue dragon jumped out of the water and hovered in mid air, it's long spiny tail whipping back and forth as its huge mouth opened. The dragons mouth seemed to stretch the entire length of its body, and the dragon looked as though it was inflating it's self. Once it's mouth was fully open, the dragon let out a loud shriek. The air rippled as the concussive sound boomed through the air and hit the ship with a deafening blow.

The mast snapped at the base, while Bucket and Mulch were forced to drop their weapons to protect their ears. They couldn't defend themselves against such a powerful dragon.

On the back of Toothless, Stoick and Hicca were finally able to spot the ship, and the dragon who was still attacking.

"I don't believe it," Hicca gasped as she looked over Stoick's shoulder. "It's a Thunderdrum! They say it gets its power from Thor himself."

Stoick pretended not to hear as he watched the dragon swoop down and steal the caught fish, it didn't matter what dragon it was, so long as they stopped it. "Fire a warning shot. Let him know we mean business."

Toothless did as he was asked and shot out a Plasma blast, it missed the Thunderdrum, but it was enough to get his attention. The attacking dragon flew higher into the air and straight in front of the sun, temporarily blinding those who tried to see it. Then it came back towards them, letting out a loud roar as it flew straight for Toothless. The Night Fury fired off another shot and forced the Thunderdrum to change course.

It looped up into the air, then came crashing down into the water and out of sight again.

Toothless landed on the deck of the ship, Hicca stayed on his back while Stoick to dismount. "I think we scared him off," She said while looking around cautiously. "But we've got to get everyone out of here."

Stoick nodded and turned to Bucket and Mulch, "Come on, we'll escort you back to shore. You'll have no more-"

But Stoick was cut off from what he was about to say, as a blue spiny tail lashed out of the water and wrapped tightly around Stoick. It picked him right off of the deck and dragged him into the water. The others ran to the side of the boat while Hicca screamed for her father, they saw a few bubbles float to the surface, but they couldn't see them anywhere.

After a couple of nerve-wracking seconds, there came another loud splash from behind them, this time it was followed by a loud shout from Stoick. The others turned to see the Thunderdrum flying wildly in the air, with Stoick clinging on to its snout.

The two came crashing down onto the deck and lashed out at each other, the dragon biting and snapping, while Stoick punched and kicked the beast. But what surprised them the most, was the sound of the chief laughing as he fought.

"Oh, he's a fighter!" He yelled excitedly, delivering another hard punch to the dragons jaw. "He's got spunk!" Again it sounded like he was almost praising the dragon as it barrelled into him and knocked him backwards.

Stoick quickly grabbed a net and threw it over the dragon, clambering on top of him and holding his jaws shut. "This is the one, Hicca! I've found my dragon! Now all you have to do is train him for me."

Hicca just stood there with wide eyes and a gobsmacked expression, even Bucket and Mulch dropped their oars in surprise, while Toothless gurgled worriedly. Of all the dragons her father could have chosen, why did it have to be the vicious Thunderdrum that had just been attacking them?

/LINE BREAK/

It took a lot of time and energy to get the Thunderdrum back to Berk and into the Academy, fitting a muzzle around his jaws and locking him away in a cage. But after a long while to let things calm down, the dragon finally seemed calm enough to approach.

Hicca kneeled in front of the Thunderdrum's cage, it still growled at her, but at least it wasn't throwing itself at the bars anymore. "Sorry about the muzzle," she whispered to it.

"Alright, let's get me on his back. Time's a-wastin'" Her father demanded from beside her.

Hicca turned and whispered to the dragon again, "Now we just need to get one in his size."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Hicca looked at her father innocently, then made her expression serious, "Look. You've got to approach him properly, Dad. Especially a dragon like this, he's one of the most powerful dragons I've ever seen."

"That's why I picked him," He stated proudly. "They say his roar gets his power from Thor himself, he's the god of thunder, you know."

Hicca resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "So I've heard. Still, you have to let the dragon know you're a friend."

"A friend, huh? Oh, like me and Gobber?"

"Yeah, perfect!" Hicca stated happily, thankful that her father was finally hearing her. "What did you do when you two first met?"

After a brief demonstration, Hicca wished she hadn't asked.

As it turned out, the first time Stoick and Gobber met, was when the latter had been hitting on Hicca's mother. Leading to Stoick putting the blacksmith in a head lock, and calling him a 'One-legged lout'?

"Not exactly the approach I had in mind," Hicca said taking a step back. "Dad, what's really important is that you let him know that he can trust you. You have to make eye contact."

Stoick made a noise that he understood, but Hicca was a little less than confident.

Hicca stepped closer to the leaver on the wall, and gave one last look to her father, she really hoped this worked. Then she pulled down on the lever, opening the large doors to the Thunderdrum's cage.

Hicca watched worriedly from the side lines, as her father and the dragon made contact. At first it seemed like it was going well, the two kept eye contact and there were no sudden movements from either of them. Then Stoick raised his hand and slipped it over the metal bars of the muzzle, he then lay his hand upon the dragons snout.

For a second, Hicca thought it had worked. But then the Thunderdrum gave a growl and lurched forward, snapping its jaws and giving Stoick barely any time to pull his hand out of the way. After making sure none of his fingers were missing, Stoick curled his hand into a fist and punched the dragon square in the face, throwing him back into his cage.

Hicca jumped forward to stop her father from attacking again, "Hey, hey, what happened to trust!?"

"Talk to him! He's the one who tried to take off my hand!" Stoick yelled angrily.

Before Hicca could say another word, the Thunderdrum leapt out of its cage and attacked Stoick again. Stoick rolled to the side and grabbed the dragons long tail, digging his heels into the ground and stopping the dragon from escaping.

"Would you stop it, Dad! This is not bonding," Hicca shouted, half-annoyed half-worried.

"You've got to show these beasts whose boss!" Stoick yelled back as he yanked on the dragon's tail, slamming his body to the ground. Stoick then ran forward and jumped on the beasts back, throwing Hicca a smug look. "Look at that, I'm on his back! Any questions?"

The smug look was soon wiped from his face, as the Thunderdrum shook it's body and took off again. "Oh, too many to ask," Hicca stated quietly, as she watched her father fly round the ring. She barely dodged in time as they flew right over her head, then straight out of the Academy.

This was not going to end well.

/LINE BREAK/

After a few hours, Stoick and his new stead still hadn't returned. So Hicca decided to leave the academy, maybe the poor dragon had thrown her father from his back, or maybe her father was still clinging on for dear life, she really didn't know. Either way, they were both strong individuals, they didn't need her watching over them.

But Hicca did need some advice, if she couldn't get through to her father, maybe she knew someone who did.

She eventually ended up at Gobber's forge, and even though he was already busy with a young Gronckle, the older blond agreed to listen as Hicca ranted about her father. "I talk to him, but he just doesn't listen! It's like I'm wasting my breath," She said as she paced back and forth.

"I got it," Gobber spoke up still with his back turned.

Hicca breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you. At least someone understands me."

But then Hicca remembered just how similar her father and Gobber were. "I mean this" Gobber turned and held out a crooked dragon tooth in his clamps. "Nasty! Now what were you saying."

The heiress gave a frustrated groan, "My father!"

"Right, Stoick," Gobber cut the Gronckle loose and turned to Hicca with a knowing smile. "Let me explain something about fathers and daughters. It's a father's job to listen to his daughter, without ever letting on that he's heard a word."

They way he said it made it sound like some sage advice, but Hicca just looked at him with confusion. What on earth was that supposed to mean?

"Hicca!"

Gobber and Hicca both turned at the sound of Stoick's voice, and saw him slowly making his way towards them, leaning against the side of the forge and covered in cuts and bruises.

Hicca ran over to her father in worry, she'd never seen him so banged up before, "Dad! What happened?"

"Ah, the beast threw me off and flew off to Thor-knows-where," Stoick groaned as he leaned on Hicca slightly.

"Well, can you blame him? All you ever did was fight him!"

"Bah! He loved it!"

"Yeah, apparently not," Hicca muttered.

Stoick raised his hand to stop his daughter, before this turned into a full on argument. "We can stand here and argue, or we can go get my dragon."

As Stoick turned and headed back to the village, Hicca's whole body slumped and she gave another sigh. When was this day going to end?

/LINE BREAK/

A few minutes later, Hicca and Stoick had gathered the other riders. They all flew above the village with Toothless in the leads, Stoick controlling his tail, and Hicca sitting behind her father.

"Alright!" Called Stoick. "We have to fan out and cover every part of the island!"

Hicca turned to her left where the twins flew, "Ruffnut and Tuffnut, you take-"

"You take the West!" Stoick interrupted. He really hated not being in charge. Of course, since the twins were mildly scared of Stoick, they did as they were ordered. Stoick then turned to his other side, "Snotlout, to the North!" Hookfang backed to the right, leaving just Fishlegs and Astrid flying behind Hicca and the chief.

"Come on, Fishlegs. We'll take the East," Arvid called to the large blond.

"B-But its allergy season," The boy protested.

Arvid glared at him, "Fishlegs!"

Fishlegs raised his hands in defence, he wasn't worried for himself. "Not me, it's for her."

Arvid wasn't sure how to respond, so he just rolled his eyes and banked to the right, soon followed slowly by Meatlug.

Stoick watched them go, then he faced forward again. "Well, your friends sure are an odd bunch, but they sure know what they're doing on those dragons."

Hicca frowned a little, not sure if her father was giving a compliment or not. "Thank you... I think."

They flew over the forests and stayed close to the mountains, hoping the Thunderdrum had taken shelter in one of the caves there. As they flew, Hicca hoped this was a good time to try talking to her father again. "Okay, when we find the dragon, you might want to think about approaching him... differently. Obviously he doesn't like being pushed around, so-"

"There he is!" Stoick suddenly interrupted.

"And, once again, not a word goes through... " Hicca muttered to herself. But honestly, by this point, she wasn't surprised.

Toothless landed on a rocky cliff. The edge of the forest to their left, a vast drop behind them, and the tall cliffs on all other sides. Within the rock face was a small cave, and inside was the missing blue Thunderdrum.

He watched them land and growled threateningly, lurching forward to attack even though the metal muzzle was still firmly in place. Toothless reared back and opened his wings wide, letting out a screech in return. But Hicca raised a hand to stop him, "Settle down, bud."

"Let me handle this. This dragon's mine," Stoick said as he stepped forward. He reached over his shoulder and pulled out his large spiked hammer, this time he had come prepared.

"Dad!" Hicca called after her father to try and stop him.

But Stoick stepped even closer and glared at the Thunderdrum, the dragon glared back, both ready for another fight. But out of the corner of his eye, Stoick spotted something at the back of the cave.

"There's another Thunderdrum in there."

Hicca stepped closer and saw that he was right, but this Thunderdrum wasn't like the other. He was slightly smaller and was purple in colour, but what caught Hicca's attention the most, was the large scorched hole on his wing, and the obvious pained expression and sounds he was making.

"He's hurt," She turned back to Stoick.

Stoick's eye widened slightly, and he lowered his hammer. "H-He's protecting his friend," Stoick realised. "That's why he's been taking all those fish." Stoick frowned and thought for a second, they shouldn't be chasing this dragon, they should be helping his friend. He turned to Hicca with a firm look, "Go get the others, and tell Gobber to get ready."

"Dad, I can't just leave you here!"

"Go!" He ordered.

Hicca turned and looked at the two Thunderdrums once more, then she turned back to Stoick and nodded. She didn't want to leave her father with them, knowing what had happened last time, but her father wasn't giving her much choice, she just hoped they would be alright until she returned.

As Stoick watched Toothless and Hicca fly away, he threw his hammer to the side and turned back to the dragon he'd previously fought against. "Looks like it's just you and me," Stoick raised his hand towards the dragon, but once again the Thunderdrum snapped his jaws threateningly.

Stoick pulled his hand back, but he surprised the dragon when he didn't attack like last time. "I want to help. Trust me." He tried again, but the Thunderdrum still growled in warning. Suddenly he let out another roar, but to Stoicks surprise, it wasn't directed at him. The Thunderdrum was looking over the chief's shoulder, so Stoick stood and turned around.

From the edge of the forest, Stoick now saw a large group of wild boars, no doubt the same ones how had been causing trouble around the forest. The large boars trotted forward, and set their sights on them, their tusks sharp and their eyes red.

Stoick back up closer to the cave, ready to fight. "They smell the blood of your wounded friend," He told the dragon, who growled in agreement. The pigs continued to advance slowly, surrounding them and backing them against the rocky cliffs, there was quite a large number of the now.

Stoick slowly leaned down and grasped his stone hammer, all the while keeping his eyes on the boars. As soon as his finger closer around the handle, the boars charged forward. Stoick also charged forward and swung his hammer left and right, beating the pigs aside as if they were flies. One of them managed to jump onto his back, squealing in his ear and shaking its tusks dangerously close to his face, but Stoick grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and threw him against the hard rocks.

But the boars kept coming, some of them managing to circle round towards the injured dragon, the smell of blood drawing them in. But before they could sink their teeth in, a long blue tail whipped round and knocked them aside. The other Thunderdrum couldn't do much with its jaws still in a muzzle, but he wasn't giving up.

Another boar jumped at Stoick, this time knocking him to the ground. He dropped his hammer and had to use both hands to keep the boars tusks away from his face. The pig's trotters stomped into his stomach and chest, no doubt leaving bruises, Stoick tried to push the pig off of him but his hands kept slipping in the animal's fur. The boar surely would have sunken his tusks into Stoick then, if the Thunderdrum hadn't been there.

The dragon leapt forward and whipped It's long tail around once more, knocking the boar off of Stoick's chest. Once Stoick was back on his feet, he grabbed his hammer and raced forward, knocking boars aside and sending some of them toppling into the ocean bellow the cliffs.

He turned back as the Thunderdrum gave a worried growl, more boars were gathering on the rocks. This was going to be a bigger fight than Stoick first thought.

Stoick took a deep breath and turned to face the mighty Thunderdrum, in return, the dragon turned to face the strong human man. If a bond between them was ever going to happen, it made sense to be on a battlefield.

Once more, Stoick raise his hand in front of the dragon. But this time, the blue Thunderdrum didn't snap or growl. It watched Stoick with large yellow eyes, then moved forward and rested his snout against his palm. For those few moments Stoick was frozen, this wasn't like the other times when we had simple placed his hand upon the dragon, this time the dragon was allowing Stoick to touch him. The dragon trusted him, and Stoick finally understood why.

As the two faced the looming threat of the boars, Stoick grabbed the metal muzzle and ripped it of the dragons head, the leather straps snapping as the metal was thrown aside.

They both waited a second more, then the dragon bowed his head to Stoick. The chief climbed on top of the... No... His dragon. He held on as the Thunderdrum gave a roar and took off, hovering above the ground and looming over the boars.

With the beasts still advancing, Stoick readied himself, and with the muzzle now gone, the Thunderdrum wasn't going to hold back.

The dragon opened its jaw's as wide as possible, releasing a shockwave roar. The boars were thrown back by the blast, and any who were weren't caught in the attack soon turned and ran back into the forest.

Once all of the boars had run away, Stoick gave a deep laugh, "Look at us! We're bonded!"

At the sound of another roar in the distance, Stoick turned and looked up to the sky. With sun beginning to set, the deep orange hues had replaced the blue, making the silhouettes of the dragons stand out much clearer. Hicca of course was the first to land, the sight of her father on the top of the Thunderdrum giving her a mix of awe and worry.

"What... Happened?" She subtly demanded,

Stoick gave a wide smile, "Ah we battled a few boars, and did a little bonding."

"You?" Hicca asked, her eyes still wide.

"Of course! There's something you should know about dragons, Hicca. It's all about trust."

Her father gave her a knowing smile, and Hicca couldn't help but return it with a small smile of her own. "So, you actually heard that?"

"Yes, I just said id." He gave another small chuckle, "I listen."

On the back of his new partner, Stoick and Hicca were able to safely transport the injured Thunderdrum back to the forge, where Gobber could take a look at him. He would probably need a leather patch over the hole in his wing, but aside from that, he should make a full recovery.

It had been a long day, but it lead to something great. Stoick had gained a new companion, and he and Hicca had both learned something. She had been trying all day to make him see things her way, but in some cases, he already did, he was just pretending he hadn't.

As the sun set over the village, Stoick and Hicca enjoyed a flight together on their dragons. Watching from above as their village was bathed in the warm orange and purple light, and gazing up at the stars as they awoke, in the deep blue of the approaching night.

 _My dad still dose things the Viking Way. Fortunately, Toothless and I have shown him that the Viking Way, can also be the Dragon Way._

End of episode 7.

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 **I really liked this episode, it's the first real Stoick-centric story and he's one of my favourite characters :) Let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	8. Portrait of Hicca

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 8 here :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 08**

 **Portrait of Hicca**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _Measuring up to a Viking father isn't easy. Especially when that Viking father is also the chief of your village. So, when you get a chance to prove yourself, you jump on it._

Today was finally the day, Hicca had been waiting all week for this.

Ever since she'd turned 15, she'd been waiting for the day of the portrait painting. It happened to ever heir was they reached that age, and the painting would be hung in the Great Hall for all to see, she couldn't wait.

She'd even taken the time that morning to make sure she looked alright. Normally she didn't really bother, she'd just wear her usual clothes and tie a simple piece of leather around her hair to keep it out of her way. But today, he clothes were clean, her hair was brushed, and she made sure her hair was tied properly, not a single loose strand.

Of course Stoick didn't even need to try, he stood proudly holding his favourite long sword, shoulders back and armour shining. He looked like a true chief. Hicca stood in front of him, holding her shield and standing as tall as she could with her back straight.

They were in the Great Hall, standing on the stage with Bucket standing a little distance away. There was a plain shield on a stand in front of him, and another on his left side with blobs of paints on it. The blond man dipped his fingers into the different colours and dragged them across the standing shield, Hicca couldn't wait to see it once it once done.

Bucket paused for a moment, he looked between his painting and the real-life counterparts, frowning to himself. He gave a crumble and stepped around the shield, stomping closer to the two of them. He brushed some stray strands from Stoick's shoulder, raised Hicca's shield slightly, adjusting it up and down, tilting it back and forth.

But he just couldn't get it right.

"No good, no good, no good... I can't do this!" Bucket threw his hands into the air. Hicca was a little surprised by his outburst, but she was more surprised when Bucket ran over to the nearest pillar, and smacked his bucket into it. Hicca winced at the resounding clang, but Bucket only stumbled a little, "Okay, I'm good." With that, the man turned and went back to his artwork.

"I've never seen Bucket like this," Hicca whispered to her father.

"Well, when he lost half his brain he suddenly became... an artist," Stoick said, even though he really had no idea how that worked.

"So, Bucket can actually paint?"

"Oh, he's the best! He's going to do us proud, Hicca."

Stoick looked over to the side of the Great Hall, where a long line of shields hung, all of them portraying the former chief's and they're heirs. At the end of the line, was the most recent painting of Stoick and Hicca's grandfather. It was a little strange seeing her father looking so... young. Hicca didn't remember her grandfather much, the only thing she remembered from when she was really young was calling him 'Old Wrinkly'.

"That is the only picture of my father and me, it was a great day," Her father said with his face full of pride. "And so is this."

Her father was proud of her.

Hicca felt her whole face turn red, nothing would be able to wipe the smile off her face today, she was so happy right now.

"Stand tall, Hicca," Stoick patted her on the shoulder.

Hicca straightened her back even more and stood on her tip toes. But she could only hold it for a couple of seconds, before falling back onto the balls of her feet, "Yeah... This is as tall as I can go, Dad."

Stoick looked down at Hicca, she was very... small... compared to him. "Ah, very well then."

A little while later, Bucket finished the panting and covered it with a large cloth, then he moved the stand onto the stage. Tomorrow the painting would be revealed to everyone and hung alongside all the others, it was a big part of the village's culture and Hicca couldn't wait to be a part of it.

"Look at all these great leaders. And tomorrow, you're picture's going to be hanging right next to them," Arvid sounded so exited. He really admired all of the previous chiefs, and seeing Hicca up there too, it made him so proud. The group of teens walked alongside the line of shield paintings, looking at the all the former chiefs and heirs, there hadn't been an heiress in a while.

But Snotlout gave a snort, "There goes the neighbourhood."

Hicca ignored him, "I guess it is a pretty big deal. It's like... being a part of history, right?"

Snotlout gave another snort, "History of goof-balls." Snotlout stop in front of one of the paintings, jabbing his thumb at the two, "What a clown"

"That it Hamish the First," Fishlegs said with a matter-of-fact tone. "He was our richest and most revered leader. And his daughter, Hicca the second."

That caught Hicca's attention, she turned at looked at the portrait in question.

The painting looked like it had been done at the beach, with Hamish's foot on a rock, and hand on his hip, and his chest puffed out proudly. Both the chief and Hicca the Second had blond hair and matching helmets, the also had fur mantles over their shoulders, but Hamish's was darker and attached to a thick fur cape. The chief had a thick and haggard looking beard, grey tunic and leather cuffs around his forearms.

His daughter may have shared the same name as Hicca, but she looked nothing like her. Hicca the Second had short blond hair with two small braids either side of her head. She had quite a muscular build, with thick shoulders and holding a sword at her side, a dark red tunic and thick leather belt. She looked a lot like her father.

There had only been two heiresses before Hicca herself, both also named 'Hicca', the first had been the granddaughter to the founder of the Hooligan Tribe. Hicca the First had some big shoes to fill as the first female chief, but she had managed it.

She'd been as strong as ten men and had taken down hundreds of dragons in her time, even when pregnant she had been tough as steel. After another four male chiefs, then came Hicca the Second. By that point, most of the other chief's thought that Hicca the First's strength had been a one off. If possible, the second female heir had even bigger shoes to fill.

Thankfully she had also succeeded. She wasn't as strong as Hicca the First had been, but she had led the war between the Hooligans and the Lava Louts, and brought them victory. Now came the current Hicca... at least she was off to a good start. She was still a little worried about becoming chief, but she promised to be the best she could be.

Of course Snotlout's voice cut through Hicca's thoughts, mocking the old chief in a pompous voice. "I'm Hamish the First. Bow down before me and kiss my pointy shoes."

Right as Snotlout struck his 'in-charge' pose with his nose in the air, the twins struck up on him. Tuffnut knelt behind him and Ruffnut shoved him back, Snotlout tripped over the male twin and crashed into the wall with a thud, the impact resulting in the shield he had just been mocking falling onto his head with a crash.

The twins laughed at their success, while Hicca and Arvid winched and the thunderous sounds, Fishlegs however panicked. He ran over, but not to check on Snotlout, but to make sure the painting was undamaged. "Look what you did! Forgive up, please." As Fishlegs gently hung the picture back on its hook, he bowed several times in apology.

But all focus was taken away from the painting when a piece of paper slipped out from behind the shield and floated to the ground. Snotlout immediately lunged for it, shortly followed by Tuffnut.

"What's that? It's probably mine!" The male twin tried to grab the piece of paper, but Snotlout easily held him at bay.

"Looks like some sort of map... with poetry?" Snotlout turned the paper left and right, either trying to read it or trying to make out the picture, either was possible.

But before Snotlout could figure out what the paper was trying to say, it was snatched from his hand. "I'll take that," Gobber said as he held the paper away from Hicca's cousin.

"Hey! That's my poetry map!"

Gobber frowned as his eyes scanned over the piece of paper, "All of these were supposed to be destroyed."

"Why? What's so special about it?" Arvid asked curiously, he tried to see the paper but Gobber tilted it away from him.

"Most lost their limbs, their lives, and their minds trying to find that treasure," Gobber said seriously.

Fishlegs jumped around excitedly again, "I've heard about this! The treasure of Hamish the First! His daughter buried him with it and left several maps. They say that the clues are so complicated that only a brilliant mind can decipher them."

Gobber gave a small nod, "Stoick and I even went after this treasure. It lured us high into the mountains in a blinding snow storm. We fought like badgers over the meaning of the clues, we were lucky to make it back with our lives, and our friendships intact. He looked over the group and gave them all a final warning.

"For your own good kids, forget you ever saw this."

With that, Gobber walked out of the Great Hall. Unfortunately none of the teens could simply forget such a thing. The thoughts of treasure and adventure all swimming in their minds, even Hicca was curious, what could have pushed her father and Gobber so far?

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning, everyone gathered in the Great Hall unveiling of the portrait. Stoick, Hicca and Bucket all stood on the stage, the blond man was so nervous he couldn't stop fiddling with the large cloth, Hicca also exited.

"Here it comes, Hicca. This is our legacy," Stoick told Hicca, the proud look still on his face.

With a gesture from Stoick, Bucket turned to his covered painting, with a flick of his wrist he whipped of the cloth from the painting.

Hicca's eyes imminently fell onto the image of her and her father, Stoick looked strong and proud and she looked...

Wrong.

Hicca face instantly turned from one of excitement, into one of shock.

In the painting, her father was gazing proudly at... a tall, muscular, and tough looking girl. She still had Hicca's hair and the same clothes, but it was just... not her. It was more like a female Snotlout.

The adults in the crowd didn't seem to notice, they all clapped and cheered at the wonderful painting, as if they didn't even notice the alteration Bucket had made. The other teens noticed, but their responses were mix.

Fishlegs looked confused, Arvid looked surprised and slightly worried, while the twins seemed to be finding the whole thing very funny.

"Whoa, what happened to Hicca?" Tuffnut asked in amusement.

"Who cares?" Snotlout's voice sounded almost... love struck. It seemed that even though the picture was supposed to be of Hicca, Snotlout was very much attracted to the butch, muscular painted female.

It was a little creepy.

Hicca moved closer to the painting, trying to figure out how and why such a thing happened. "H-Hey, Bucket? Wh-Why am I so... like _that_?"

Bucket was about to answer, when Stoick clapped him on the back with a hearty laugh. "Oh, you did a brilliant job, Bucket! Don't you think so, Hicca?"

Hicca had to admit, Bucket was a great artist, the painting was very good. But still... "But it's not me."

"Sure it is!" Her father assured her, "It's you, but... you know, bigger. Stronger."

Hicca didn't answer. Her father did notice the difference, but he didn't mind. Or was it more than that? Was it his idea? Did he tell Bucket to paint her that way?

Her father wasn't completely ashamed of her anymore, but was he still embarrassed by her? The Hooligan tribe had proved that women were just as strong as men, so the fact that she was a girl wasn't a problem. The problem was that she was still a hiccup... a runt. Yes, she had ended the three hundred year war against the dragons, taken down the Red Death queen, and trained a Night Fury.

But she was still... Small, and weak looking.

It all hit home when Hicca heard Mulch complimenting the painting. "Now _that's_ the son of a Chief," he patted Stoick on the back.

Her father turned to her with a smile, "You see what I mean?"

Hicca looked at the painting again, at the painting of the child her father wanted. Apparently, her achievements didn't matter compared to that.

She didn't want to stay in the Great Hall anymore. She stepped down from the stage and left threw the large doors, soon followed by a worried Arvid.

"Unbelievable," Hicca muttered to herself. "My father likes that painting more than the real me! What do I have to do to get my father to accept me?" Hicca stopped walking, her shoulders slumped and expression downcast. Her name even derived from the word Hiccup.

Arvid placed a hand on her shoulder, "He does accept you... He just accepts the painting more."

Hicca looked at him with a raised eyebrow, Arvid was trying to help, but at the same time he was being brutally honest. Hicca couldn't help but smile, she knew he was just trying to help.

The two of them kept moving, maybe a nice walk would help. But as they neared the forge, they spotted Fishlegs standing outside. He was looking around nervously, and fidgeting from foot to foot, when he spotted the two of them, he looked even more nervous than before, if that was actually possible.

Hicca and Arvid just had to investigate.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked the large blond.

"Nothing!" Fishlegs' eyes were wide as he answered way too quickly. He didn't make himself seem any less guilty when he turned his head to the side and... 'subtly' cooed like a bird.

He was signalling someone, most likely Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. They were sneaking into Gobber's forge... where he was most likely keeping Hicca the Second's map.

"Oh gods... Okay, where are they?" Hicca asked with Fishlegs, her arms folded over her chest.

"Who?" Fishlegs asked, his eye's still wide. He continued to make more bird noises, while Hicca rolled her eyes and made her way round to the side of the forge.

She unsurprisingly found the twins waiting outside the shop window. "What are you doing?" she asked them.

As it turned out, they were just in time to see Snotlout wriggled out from Gobber's office window, a rolled piece of paper in his hand. "I've got the map!" He called triumphantly, "We're finding that treasure! And you and a horrible look out," He glared at Fishlegs as he tried to hide behind the wooden wall.

"You heard what Gobber said," Arvid stepped forward. "Some of the bravest warriors in history have died trying to find that treasure."

"Yeah, and I'm next," Snotlout puffed his chest out confidently.

"Well, I personally would like to live to see my next birthday," Arvid said, firmly set that this was a bad idea.

Fishlegs surprisingly also however sided with Snotlout, "We'll be legends! They'll sing songs about us."

"You'll be dead," Arvid tried again. "Come on, not even Stoick could find it."

As he said that, a small idea popped into Hicca's head, "You're right... He couldn't." Hicca quickly stepped forward and took the map from her cousin, "Give me that map."

Arvid sighed in relief, "Finally, someone is making sense."

Unfortunately, Hicca and Arvid weren't on the same page.

"Alright. Where do we start?" She asked looking over the map, the others all crowding round her in excitement.

Arvid however just looked at her in utter surprise, "Are you serious?"

"Think about it, Arvid." Hicca turned to him with a determined look, "My father couldn't find this treasure. What if... What if I did something that even the great Stoick the Vast couldn't? How great would that be?"

Arvid just paused for moment, it was very strange seeing Hicca actually siding with Snotlout and the twins. He gave a heavy sigh, "You're going to go after this no matter what I say, aren't you?"

Hicca gave a nod, "So... Are you going to give me a hard time about this?"

Arvid gave a smirk, "Every step of the way. Besides, I can't let you go with just them." He nodded his head to the side, where Tuffnut was asking Ruffnut to punch him harder so that he could see stars. Yes they were friends, but Arvid still wanted to go just to make sure Hicca was alright with Snotlout and the twins.

Hicca gave a small laugh and turned to back to the map. It wasn't like all the other maps she'd seen, there wasn't a large drawing of the island with the forests and mountains shown on it, it was a series of short passages, with small sketches off to the side, it looked more like a page from a story book.

"It looks like the map leads to each of these spots," Hicca noted.

"And the riddles are clues to what you're supposed to find," Fishlegs added.

Snotlout snatched the map back, "Blah-blah-blah! Where's the treasure?" He looked at the map and read the first clue.

 _Where the land meets the sea, in the crook of the master's knee._

 _That's where you search will be... gin._

Hicca looked over Snotlout's shoulder, repeating the lines over in her head again. Land meets the sea? Were they supposed to start on a cliff side, or at the beach? And if so, which cliff or beach was the map referring to?

The clue had to be in the second verse.

"The 'master's knee'?" she muttered to herself. Was that the name of a place, or was it referring to a person?

As she thought the words over in her head, her eyes wondered over the different images on the page, until one caught her attention. The third image down on the page was the head of a dragon poking out of the water, it didn't look like any dragon she'd seen before, but the look was familiar in a way.

"I've seen before."

Hicca rolled the map and gripped it tightly, she took off into a run back towards the Great Hall, soon followed by the others.

Back in the hall, Hicca ran towards the line of painted shields, looking along them until she found the one she was looking for. The portrait of Hicca the Second and her father, one of the only paintings in the long row with a background, and in said background, was the familiar shape Hicca had seen.

The 'Master', the Second Hicca had been referring to was her father. And near the bottom of the picture, where his foot was raised onto a rock, his knee was bent and pointing to the side. Right at a strange rock formation sticking out of the ocean. It wasn't exactly the same as the image on the map, but it did match the clue they'd been given.

"Look, right there, where his knee bends." Hicca pointed it out to the others. "It's pointing to this spot on the beach. That's where we start!"

The others nodded, they now head their starting point.

/LINE BREAK/

After gathering their dragons together, the teens took off towards the beach. While in the air, they circled around the rocky sea stack as shown in the picture, thankfully it was still there after so many years. They landed on the beach, and Hicca looked at the map.

"Listen up guys," She told the others as she read out the second clue.

 _From here you will see, the seed that's been sown._

 _Look to where water, turns to bone._

"Water turns to bone?" Snotlout scoffed. Clearly thinking that the old Hicca had lost her mind at this point, not even trying to make sense.

Hicca frowned as she read over the line again. "Water turns to bone... water turns to bone..." She looked around the beach and nearby cliffs, they were supposed to start on this beach, there had to be some kind of clue around here.

The water couldn't turn to actual bone, but it did turn to ice. No matter how warm the weather grew, there was always ice on the northern most point of the island. The giant glacier perturbed from the rock, shining a crystal blue against the dull greys and brown.

That's where they needed to go.

/LINE BREAK/

Meanwhile Gobber had reported back to Stoick at the Great Hall, the map had caused so much trouble for them, the chief had to know it was still floating around. Of course Stoick was concerned that there was still a copy of the map floating around, but there was another matter that troubled him more.

"You had the map and you didn't destroy it!?" Stoick roared worriedly. "What were you thinking?"

"I know, I'm an idiot," Gobber agreed, trying to calm his friend down. "I thought maybe you and I could take another crack at finding the treasure."

"Gobber!" Stoick glared at him in warning, there was no way he was going after that treasure again. The so called clues had driven them crazy, it was way more trouble than it was worth.

But Gobber argued against him, "We turned back too early! So we lost a couple of toes-"

Stoick grumbled at the thought, he still felt lob-sided on his left side.

But now they had a bigger problem now. The map was gone, and Gobber had no doubts in his mind it was Hicca and the other teens. He had warned them earlier, but of course they wouldn't listen to him.

Stoick stood from his chair and turned towards the main entrance, "Come on, Gobber. We've got to find Hicca and the others before they get themselves killed! Why would she do something like this?" He asked himself. Hicca had never been one to go against Gobber or himself, unless she really had something to prove. But going after this treasure was just stupid and dangerous, so why had she done it?

Even though he had asked himself the question, Gobber had overhead. The blacksmith frowned and thought for a moment, he was thinking the same thing as Stoick, why had Hicca gone on such a dangerous quest? When they had tried themselves many years ago, they had heard so many stories about those who had tried and failed, they wanted to prove that they could do what no one else had... only to fail themselves.

But still, Hicca wasn't useless anymore, she had proven herself to everyone... Right? As Gobber thought about it, he turned to look at the latest shield painting of Stoick and Hicca... or at least, the image of Hicca which Stoick had asked for.

The longer he looked at it, and the more noticed how un-Hicca the painting was, the more he started to understand why Hicca was doing this.

Now he just had to make Stoick realise it.

/LINE BREAK/

Near the top of the shining Glacier, the teens and their dragons found an opening in the rock. The ice opened up to reveal and large cave, it stretched deep into the cliff with frozen figures trapped in its cold clutches. The teens made their way inside, looking out for any dangers or hidden features from the map.

After a little while, Arvid stopped. "There's something it there," he pointed towards the ground where more figures and objects were frozen, just below the surface, there was something strange. It wasn't sharp or edgy enough to be a weapon, but too shiny and metallic to be an ordinary rock.

Hicca pulled out the map and read out the next clue.

 _Call on Magni, you'll go astray._

 _Loki thought, will show the way._

But before Hicca could even start to think the clue over in her head, she was suddenly surprised by Snotlout.

"I get it!" He cried with a smile. The others were almost too shocked to say anything, they just watched as Snotlout got on his knees and looked down at the frozen artefact. But as it turned out, no one was really surprised as Snotlout started bashing his head into the icy ground.

Surprisingly, the ice did start to crack under his force. Hicca decided not to stop him and instead just rolled her eyes, she hadn't figured out the clue yet, so maybe this was the way they were supposed to go. But as the metallic cling of helmet against ice sounded, the cracks in the ice travelled along the ground and up the wall, leading to a supped deep crackle reach Hicca's ears. She looked up just in time to see a large, long handled, metal mace swing down, aired right for where Snotlout knelt.

Hicca jumped forward and grabbed her cousin by the shoulders, yanking him backwards as quickly as she could. They both fell back just in time for the mace to swing past them, imbedding itself into the ice wall. The sound of gears grinded together and the mace slowly returned to its original position.

They sat their trying to catch their breaths as Hicca slowly reached for the map, at least now she had an idea of what the clue was referring to. "We can't break the ice. That's what Magni means, he's the God of Strength."

That just left them with the second verse, but what did Loki have to do with this? He was a trickster and a thief, were they supposed to trick the artefact out of the ice? There had to be something else, something more to Loki that they could use to get through the ice.

Fishlegs was the first to figure it out. "Fire!" He suddenly shouted.

Hicca looked at him in question. They could use fire to melt the ice, but what did fire have to do with Loki? "How dose Loki link to fire?" She asked the larger blond.

"Think about it. Loki wasn't born a god, he was created in chaos, and made in fire. His nickname is also 'Hellfire'," Fishlegs told her excitedly.

Hicca broke into a smile and nodded, "That it! That's what we're going to use."

If this was back in Hicca the Second's time, they would have had to use torches to melt the ice. Thankfully, the dragons could make the process much easier.

Hicca turned and looked up to where Toothless sat, perched on a high ledge and keeping an eye out. "Toothless," She called up to him. The dragon answered her call and glided down from his perch, kicking off the opposite wall and landing next to Hicca and the other teens.

"You know what to do," Toothless seemed to nod. Hicca took a step back as Toothless let out a stream of white fire, in just a few short blasts, the ice had cleared and the artefact was freed. Hicca knelt down and reached out to pick up the strange item, she flinched a little at the heat, but the remaining ice soon helped to cool it down.

She picked it up, but froze as a rumble shuddered through the ice cave. Once it stopped, Hicca stood and held the metal object in her hand, turning to and fro, trying to figure out exactly what it was. It was a dark metal in a crescent moon shape, with a twisting pattern carved into one side, and a small notch on the other. It was very mysterious looking, but it didn't exactly look like treasure, at least, not one they'd seen before.

"That's it? That's the treasure?" Ruffnut asked in annoyance.

Hicca frowned, "It can't be. But I bet this will lead us to it." They still had a lot of close left on the map, this was only part of the treasure, or maybe even the key to finding the rest.

Tuffnut stepped forward and snatched the metal artefact from Hicca, and held it in the air like a sacred object. "Take us to the treasure!" He asked it, like he was praying.

Arvid just gave a smirk, "Let me know if it answers."

Hicca took the piece back and looked down at it again, but before she and the others could make a move, the cave began to shake again, this time more violently. Huge cracks began to cut and zigzag through the ice, branching out and covering all the ground under their feet. The damage they'd done had added up, and now the ice cave was falling apart.

They had to get out of there.

"Toothless!" Hicca called out.

The Night Fury gave a roar and signalled the other dragons, who had been waiting outside, the dragons swooped in and picked up their riders. The entrance of the cave had already started to give way, so the dragons flew further into cave. They blasted their way through the ceiling, out of the ice cave, and out into open air.

In the sky, the teens all breathed a sigh of relief, watching as the glacier crumbled below them

/LINE BREAK/

On the beach where the teens had started they quest, Gobber and Stoick had landed, both looking around for any sign of Hicca and the others, Stoick's Thunderdrum sniffing around behind them.

Gobber knelt down and ran his fingers over the tracks in the sand. "Night Fury prints," He concluded. He scooped some of the sand into his palm and brought it to his face, taking in the smell. "They were here... about an hour ago."

Stoick just frowned at his friend, "I'll never understand how you do that. What does an hour ago smell like?" The whole concept just baffled him.

"Not as strong as a half hour ago," Gobber said simply, as that explained everything.

But before the blacksmith could add anything, the two men heard a deep rumble, something like an avalanche.

The two looked up to the large glacier, just in time to see a large section break off and tumble down into the ocean bellow. Something must have happened, the glacier would just collapse on its own like that.

"Look! The kids must have found something up there," Stoick said in worry, just hoping that Hicca and the others weren't in the collapsing ice right now.

"It was in the glacier! I knew it!" Gobber yelled excitedly.

Stoick frowned again, "Oh, really? Then how come we spent a week _digging in the sand_?"

"That was _your_ idea!" Gobber argued.

Stoick gave a sigh, he really didn't want to start that argument again. He turned back to the glacier as a thought crossed his mind, "Hicca and her friends got further in one afternoon than we got in a month."

Gobber watched Stoick as he spoke, "Yeah. Looks like Hicca's doing far better than us, and we think we're the _big, strong Vikings_."

Stoick turned to Gobber, clearly confused by his tone. "What are you saying, Gobber?"

Gobber decided it was finally time for Stoick to figure out what was bothering Hicca, "Stoick, it's the painting."

Stoick paused for a long time. What did the painting have to do with this? True he had asked Bucket to change it slightly, to make Hicca look like all the previous heirs. But that's what he wanted, right? She'd wanted to be seen as a great heir, but when she'd see the painting, she hadn't liked it. Why?

It slowly started to dawn on Stoick then. "Of course... She's trying to prove herself."

Once more, he'd gotten confused about Hicca's intentions. All she'd ever wanted was to prove herself. Before the dragons, she'd wanted to prove that she could be like them, a strong Viking. But now... things had changed. She had done so much on her own, using skills that she alone possessed, she didn't need to be a Viking. And now, she wanted to prove herself in a different way. That she could do everything they could, and yet still be herself.

He'd changed the painting, not only turning her into something she wasn't, but also something she didn't want to be.

They had to find Hicca and the others, and when they did, he would apologise.

/LINE BREAK/

After their close escape from the ice cave, the teens took a moment to rest on a large sea stack. They were definitely getting closer, they could feel it.

As they paused to catch their breaths, Hicca read aloud the next clue.

 _At the edge of the world, amidst the raging sea._

 _In the serpent's mouth, lies the key._

Okay, these were just getting weirder.

"Serpents? I hate serpents... Those are reptiles, right?" Tuffnut asked as he sat on Belch's head.

Ruffnut gave a smirk, "You do realize you're sitting on one."

Hicca drowned out Tuffnut's scream as she looked over the runes again. Were they actually supposed to go looking for some kind of sea serpent?

"Hey! That cloud looks like a snake," Snotlout pointed out. Hicca wasn't sure if he was actually trying to be helpful, or just being random.

Arvid groaned in annoyance, "Yeah and in five minutes it'll look like a bunny."

But Snotlout's outburst did put an idea in Hicca's head, "Wait, wait... he might be onto something."

Maybe they weren't really looking for a serpent, just something that looked like one. At the side of the passage she had just read, she once again saw the image of a dragon's head poking out of the water, the one which had given her the idea for the first clue. But from this vantage point she could see another rock formation further out at sea, this one matching the picture exactly.

"Look, right there!" she pointed it out to the others.

They didn't need to travel to the edge of the world, just the edge of Berk's territory. Hicca held up the map to compare the picture to its real life counterpart, now they just had to deal with the second verse.

"In its mouth... lies the key." She put the map back in Toothless's saddle bag and gripped his reins, "Toothless, let's go!"

But just as she was about to take off, Fishlegs held his arm out to stop her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! A-Are you crazy? You can't expect a Night Fury, with a wingspan of 48 feet, to hover in winds like _that_! You'll be killed!"

Hicca halted Toothless, she hadn't thought of that, but Fishlegs was right. The winds that whipped around the sea stacks at the edge of Berk were treacherous, it was difficult for the ships to cross, and the dragons needed to fly much higher just to get passed them. Getting close to the sea stack would be very difficult on Toothless... But then Hicca's gaze fell on Meatlug.

"Well, what's the wingspan of Meatlug?"

After a little more coaxing, Fishlegs agreed to take Hicca over to the sea stack. Hicca tied up her hair tightly so it wouldn't get in her face, then she climbed on behind the larger blond and the two took off on Meatlug. But it soon became clear, even with the Gronckle having the smallest wingspan of all the dragons, it was still hard for her to stay level.

Things didn't get easier. It was clear that Meatlug couldn't land on the narrow opening, which left only one option. Using the rope that Fishlegs carried in Meatlug's saddle bag, ever the prepared one, Hicca lowered herself down toward the ledge.

"Keep her steady!" Hicca yelled up to him, keeping a firm grip on the rope with her hands and legs.

Fishlegs however, was really panicking. "Oh Thor! Do we really need that treasure? Isn't our friendship treasure enough!?"

They flew closer to the opening, Meatlug hover above while Hicca dangled below, she could now see the small metal object in the rocky mouth. It looked very similar to the one they had already collected, maybe together they would show them something new. Despite still being thrown around by the wind, Hicca tried swinging back and forth to reach the artefact. But no matter how far she stretched, she still couldn't reach.

"I can't reach it!" She called again, hoping Meatlug could fly just a little closer.

But Fishlegs just wanted to turn around and head back, "Okay, we tried, 'A' for effort!"

Hicca frowned at the small metal object, it was so close, she just needed to try something different. "Hold on!" She called again. Hicca shimmed down the rope holding on tight with both hands as she swung her leg out, her prosthetic was hooked at the end to connect with Toothless' s peddle, now she could use it to her advantage.

She reached her metal foot out and tried to hook the artefact, but swinging on a rope with violent winds rushing passed her, it wasn't easy. "Come on... Come on..." Hicca muttered to herself as she managed to nudge the artefact, but it just slipped from her grasp. Once more, she tried to drag the object closer and grab it.

She finally caught the artefact in her metal foot, and kicked it into the air. She watched as the second piece sailed above her, following it with her eyes as it started to fall back down, Hicca held onto the rope tightly and reached out to grab the object.

As the metal brushed against her fingers, she grasped it as tight as possible, bringing it close to her chest so she wouldn't drop it. "Yes! Got it!" She called out excitedly, Fishlegs happily took that as his signal to fly Meatlug back to the others. Thank gods they had the dragons, or that would have been imposible. Hicca looked down at the second piece in her hand and smiled down at it, "How's that for a hiccup?"

After meeting up with the others, they all looked over the map again. The next clue didn't give them a real hint as to where they were heading, but the picture alongside it suggested they were headed to the forest. They took off from the sea stack and headed back towards the glacier and the forest just behind it.

As the dragons walked through the forest Hicca fiddled with the two pieces, comparing them and noted differences and similarities, the first one was definitely crescent moon shaped, but the second was more bubbled with one curved edge. When Hicca placed the two pieces alongside each other, she found something, "Look, they fit together! We must be on the right track."

"Hey, Hicca, what are you going to do with your part of the treasure?" Ruffnut called.

Hicca turned back to the other with a small smile, "I'm not really here for the treasure."

Snotlout jumped up as her heard that, "Great! I get her share!"

But as the others talked about what they would do with their shares of the treasure, Arvid cast a worried look to Hicca. "You know... you don't have to do this, right?"

Hicca glanced at him, then turned back with a small frown, "Yeah, try telling that to my dad."

As they kept walking, they came across a more rocky terrene, sharp rocks sticking out all around them. Opposite from where they were standing, stood a large mound of rocks, with a huge wall imbedded in them, almost as tall as Hookfang was long. The wall was crisscrossed into sections, with many designs and pictures carved into the many faces. The structure behind the wall sloped down into the ground, it looked like they would be going underground if they got passed the wall.

"This must be the spot," Hicca said looking up at the wall. "Why else would anyone build a wall in the middle of the woods?"

"Uh, to keep out the other trees."

Hicca just rolled her eyes and turned back to the map, "I've got another you for you."

 _The world is right, when stars align._

 _When not in sync, the danger you'll find._

"Stars!? I'm not waiting around here till night!" Snotlout snapped, ever the impatient one.

"No, I don't think she means actual stars. I mean, the water didn't really turn to bone," Hicca pointed out. It had become obvious by this point that none of the clues were meant to be taken literally.

Arvid turn to her, "Well, what do you think it means?"

"Why are you asking _her_? Maybe I know," Snotlout asked with a hint of annoyance and pride. But Arvid and Hicca just looked at him with questionable gazes, forcing him to retract his statement. "I said 'Maybe'. Turns out, I don't."

Fishlegs dismounted from Meatlug and stepped closer the stone wall, running his chubby fingers over the carved designs. "There are shapes carved into each one of these bricks."

"Keep a lookout for anything that looks like a star," Hicca told the others as they dismounted.

"Got one!" Snotlout called out. The brick he gestured to had a cross with several points on it, it was crude, but it did resemble a star. Snotlout gripped the edges of the brick and pulled to remove it from the wall, but when the stone was a foot out of the wall, it caught on something and refused to move any further. At the same time, the whole wall started to shake, rocks crumbling and falling around them.

"Put it back! Put it back!" Fishlegs yelled at him.

But even when Snotlout pushed on the rock with all his strength, the brick wouldn't budge. "Hookfang!" Snotlout yelled in panic, hoping his dragon was strong enough to move the stone. But of all the times for the Nightmare to be distracted by a falling leaf, it had to be now. "Hookfang!"

Thankfully Hookfang snapped out of his trance the second time he was called, he rushed over and nudged the rock back in line with his jaw. The rumbling stopped, and everything grew calm again.

Hicca threw Snotlout a glare, a warning not to touch anything else. "It says, 'In sync'. That means there must be another star."

Arvid's eye scanned the stone wall, and eventually found another star a little further up the wall, "Over here!"

"We're supposed to pull them out at the same time. Ruff? Tuff?" Hicca turned to the twins, it may not seem like it at times, but no two people were more in sync than them.

The twins stepped forward and brought Barf and Belch with them, the only thing more in sync than them was their dragon. They each pointed to one of the stars and motioned for them to pull them out, the two dragon heads got the message and reach forward, gripping the rock in their teeth. Slowly and steadily, they drew the two star bricks out of the wall until they released completely.

The rumbling sound started again, but this time it was coming from inside the rock formation. All at once, the patterned rock wall split in two opening like two large doors. The teens weren't sure how the rocks were moving in such a way, but that didn't stop it from being impressive. Clearly Hicca the Second had gone through a lot of trouble to keep the treasure hidden.

Behind the stone doors, was a long dark corridor lined on either side with small stone golems. It stretched in a slight downward slope, travelling deep underground. Well, they couldn't stop now.

"Wow, this is amazing," Ruffnut commented as they stepped inside, soon followed by the dragons.

But they all froze then a deed creaking sounded behind them, the teens and the dragons turned just in time to see the stone doors slam shut. With the only light now streaming through the small holes in the walls and ceiling, Toothless clawed at the stone trying to open the doors again, but it soon became clear that they weren't budging. Hicca and Arvid shared a worried look, they had no other option aside from moving forward now. So that's just what they did.

Thankfully, a little distance into the cave, they stumbled across some torches on the walls. Arvid and Hicca grabbed them and allowed their dragons to light them, helping them find their way as they travelled deeper into the rocky cave.

Eventually, the stone corridor opened up into a large shape, with a dome shape and a lower ring in the centre, in the lower section stood six stone pillars, each holding a metal rock. The teens and dragons slowly made their way into the room, all now weary of any traps or tricks. But what really caught them off guard, was the sudden heat that filled the space around them.

"It's so hot," Snotlout complained wiping sweat from his forehead. "Is anyone else hot? 'Cause I'm really hot."

"I know, I'm sweating like a dragon at an eel party," Tuffnut agreed.

Arvid wiped some sweat from his brow, short strands of blond sticking to the back of his neck and forehead, his eye falling to the stone floor. As he did so, he noticed some flickering movements around their feet, "Uh... guys? Is it just me, or is the floor moving?"

Hicca and the others also cast their gaze down towards their feet. She held her torch down, and saw the gathering of small creatures, running from the light back into the shadow like rats. But these were definitely weren't rats. "Toothless, can you give us some light?"

The Night Fury complied and fired a shot across the room, lighting the area as it did so. When it hit the other side, the room filled with the sound of tiny scuttling claws, and the teens had a much clearer idea of what they were dealing with.

"That's why it's so hot in here. Fireworm dragons!" Fishlegs stated.

Fireworms were the smallest of all the dragons, but they were by far the hottest dragons in the Stoker class. Unlike Monstrous Nightmares who could ignite themselves at will, Fireworms were always alight, they scales constantly burning, which is why they preferred to stay underground where it was cool and dark.

Tuffnut seemed imminently charmed by the dragons and knelt down to pick one up, only to stop when Hicca called out to him.

"Stop! Their skin burns hotter that the sun," She warned him.

"Yeah, but how hot can the sun really be?" The male twin soon got his answer as the tiny dragon scolded his palm, forcing a loud scream from him.

The dragon Tuffnut had dropped started to glow an ominous orange colour, the glow slowly spreading to the others. It seemed the Fireworms were being agitated by the human presence in their cave, and they planned on fighting back. The tiny dragons started attacking in swarms, they didn't even need to breath fire, each individual dragon was like a moving bonfire.

Hicca let out a scream as a couple made it onto her leg. She kicked them off, and Toothless fired a blast to keep them at bay, and the other dragons started doing the same to keep their riders safe. But there was a vast number of Fireworms compared to them, the scuttled everywhere, and the fire couldn't keep them away forever. As they climbed out of the shallow area and onto the upper section of the floor, a ring of fire sprouted, surrounding the six pillars in the centre.

Hicca and Toothless quickly made their way into the centre, if they wanted to get out of there, then they needed to do something with the metal stones.

"Grab them and let's go!" Snotlout yelled at her.

"No, it's a choice," Hicca told them, her eyes scanning the map as quickly as possible. "Listen to this."

 _Something pure, and something strong._

 _Look first to yourself, and you won't go wrong_

She looked around at each of the stones, it was hard to tell what some of them even were, how were they supposed to pick the pure and strong one?

"Strong... That must be the one made of Iron," Fishlegs suggested.

"But iron's not pure. Take the gold," Arvid called.

As they tried to figure out the clue, the dragons kept the fiery swarm at bay. But the dragons were running out of fire, and they fire that still raged around them was getting worse.

"It's getting really hard to breathe!" Arvid panted, more sweat running down his face.

"That's what happens when you're getting roasted alive!" Fishlegs yelled before turning back to Hicca. "You might want to make a decision soon! We're running out of time"

Hicca racked her brain trying to figure out the clue, none of the others before had a time limit, and this one seemed to be the most difficult yet. She let out another yelp as some Fireworms snuck up on her, Toothless quickly coming to her rescue and scaring them off. As the Night Fury let out another white hot blast, a sudden shine caught Hicca's attention.

One of the metal pieces was far shinier than the others, so shiny she could actually see her face reflected in its surface. It was then that Hicca remembered the second verse of the clue.

"Look to yourself," she muttered to herself as she stepped towards one of the pedestals. The piece on top looked the same as the others before, but more triangular in shape and made from a shiny unknown metal. In all the other riddles, the second line had always been the most important. Maybe it wasn't about which metal was the Strongest or the purest, it was about which you could see yourself in.

"Careful, it could be a trap," Arvid warned.

Hicca trusted her judgment. She took a second to breathe, then picked up the shining piece.

For a second, nothing happened. No rumbling or falling rocks, it looked like she had made the right choice. But then a small fizz sounded, and the Fireworms fled from the cave. That was a very bad sign.

"Hicca!" Arvid yelled out in worry, they needed to get out of there.

But just as Hicca turned back to the others, the lower section where she stood gave way. The ground under her feet broken apart, and Hicca was left standing on nothing. She let out a cry as she suddenly started falling, the rocks tumbling on all sides of her. Toothless jumped in after her, trying to reach her, but the rocks blocked his view and more boulders followed him.

"Hicca!" Arvid screamed, but he couldn't see anything through the rain of stone.

"We've got to get out of here!" Tuffnut yelled over the rumbling.

Snotlout pointed up to where the rocks had fallen away, "Through there."

But as Fishlegs tried to climb onto Meatlug, Arvid ran over and pulled him off. "No! We're not leaving them!"

Fishlegs pulled his arm free from the others grip, "If we don't go now we'll all be trapped. There won't be anyone to help Hicca."

Arvid looked back and forth between the pit where Hicca had fallen and the escape route, he desperately didn't want to leave Hicca, but Fishlegs was right. If they didn't go now, they would also be trapped. He just hoped Hicca was alright.

The blond jumped onto Stormfly and took off, narrowly dodging the falling rocks and escaping through the gap outside. From the air, they saw how the rock structure caved in on itself and turned into a pile of rubble. With Hicca somewhere underneath.

/LINE BREAK/

Beneath the cover of rocks, Toothless and Hicca lay on the hard ground at the very bottom.

The Night Fury raised his wing and shoved aside the stones that had fallen on top, revealing Hicca a little shaken but safe underneath. The two stood and shook themselves free from debris, Hicca looked up to try and see a way out, but with no light to see by, it was clear that a way out would take a while to find.

"We've got to find a way out of here. Give us some light, bud."

Toothless sniffed around for any danger, then he fired a shot forward. The white hot blast hit an outcrop of stone and began to glow a warm orange colour, illuminating the space around them. The space was similar dome shape to the cave they had fallen from, but this one had no entrance or exit, aside from the hole above which was now blocked by stones.

As Hicca's eyes looked around, she noticed a design carved into the floor, a concentric circular pattern leading to a hole in the centre. The hole didn't look like ordinary, not like someone had just been digging. It was perfectly round, with small holes within and one short pole sticking out the centre. Hicca found for a moment, until she remembered the three pieces they had found.

"I wonder..."

She pulled out the first two pieces from Toothless saddle bag, and brought them together with the strange metal piece she picked from the pedestal. She knew the first two fit together, and sure enough, the third one slid into place. Together the pieces created a stone and metal disk, with a weaving pattern carved into the front and four defined notches in the back.

Slowly and gently, Hicca lined the notches up to the hole in the ground, and slipped the key into the space with the pole coming through the middle. It fit perfectly, leaving Hicca to grasp the thin pole and twist it, turning the entire section of floor with her until she heard a small click.

She suddenly leapt back as the key sprouted from the ground on top of a small podium, Toothless catching her before she stumbled back. Another grinding noise sounded, directing Hicca and Toothless's attention to square slab on the wall to their left. The slab slit in two, one half sinking into the ground, and the other half being pulled up, revealing another small corridor behind it.

Hicca frowned again, but moved towards the new opening. Toothless however gave a bark in warning, he was really starting to hate mysterious corridors that appeared from nowhere. Hicca turned to him with a small smile, "Well, we've come this far."

With that, she started walking towards the passageway, Toothless following warily behind her.

/LINE BREAK/

Outside of the fallen cave, the other teens were digging their way through the stones. Arvid and Fishlegs were clearing away the smaller stones by hand, while Snotlout and the twins used their dragons to handle the heavy lifting, admittedly not putting in as much effort as the other two.

"Keep digging!" Arvid ordered, tossing another stone aside. He was desperately hoping that Hicca was unharmed, and the Toothless was keeping her safe. "We've got to find them!"

"Find who?" A deep voice sounded behind them, making all the teens pause in their digging.

They all turned just in time to see Stoick and Gobber landing on the Chief's Thunderdrum, the large red haired man did not look happy.

His eyes scanned over the teens, waiting for an answer. But they all kept quiet, none of them wanted to be the one to tell Stoick what had happened to his daughter.

However, the absence of a certain girl and her Night Fury soon gave Stoick his answer.

"Hicca?"

He stomped forward and demanded an explanation, ordering the teens to skip over the non important bits. When the words 'Hicca, Cave in, Trapped' reached his ears, he didn't waste any more time.

He and Gobber, alongside the teens and the dragons, started digging at full force.

/LINE BREAK/

Back underground, Hicca and Toothless finally saw the end of the stone corridor. They climbed up a small slop and came to the entrance of a large space. A wide stone bridge in front of them lead to a large risen platform, and on that platform, was the unmistakable shine of gold. Hicca breathed a sound of amazement. The room was almost the size of the great hall, and even thought it was made of stone, it still had the same feel of importance.

She and Toothless made their way across the bridge and onto the large round platform, towards the centre of the mound of treasure, where yet another podium stood. But this one held a rolled piece of parchment in a stone ring.

Hicca slipped the aged paper free and read the runes on the outside. Unsurprisingly, the words formed yet another riddle.

 _This treasure was passed from father to son._

 _I leave it to you the next worthy one._

 _For only..._

The next for words made Hicca blink in surprise, wondering if she'd read it right.

 _For only a hiccup could have made it this far._

 _From one to another, be proud of who you are._

Hicca didn't wait another second, she had to see what was inside the scroll. Carefully unrolling the paper, she let her eyes fall on the picture inside.

It was similar to the shield panting from before, a father and child standing side by side. The larger figure looked just like Hamish the First, same clothes and thick beard, with a fur mantle and cape hanging from his shoulders.

The smaller figure must have been Hicca the Second... but she was much smaller than Hicca remembered.

She was still holding a sword at her side, with a helmet to match her fathers and a fur mantle over her shoulders, and her hair was still short with two small braids at the side. But her build was far slimmer and shorter than what the first picture had shown.

"Whoa! Hicca the Second was a hiccup. Just like me!" Hicca turned to Toothless with a huge smile. She may not have known the previous Hicca personally, but just knowing that they were alike, it made her feel so much better. She couldn't help but smile as she held the picture close, "She knew only another one of us could find this place."

Hicca rolled the parchment and carefully put it away in Toothless's saddle bag, she didn't want to risk losing such a precious item. Then she turned back to the rest of the room, she honestly hadn't been interested in the treasure, but she couldn't help but admire the hoard her ancestor had collected.

"Look at all this stuff! I guess being a hiccup isn't such a bad thing after all," Hicca commented as she stepped forward.

But unfortunately, just when Hicca thought she'd see the last of the hidden secrets. The platform that had been holding the rolled picture slowly sank into the ground, at the same time, two more pedestals rose on either side. One holding a large stone hammer, and the other holding a plain white feather.

"Wow... So, Hicca II really loved pedestals," Hicca commented. Then she spotted more runes at her feet, "And apparently riddles."

 _In between the body and mind, a choice must be made on what you will find._

 _At this moment you must look to yourself, as only one path will give you true wealth._

A loud rumble sounded thought out the room, and two columns collapsed behind them, blocking off the path they'd come through. Now they had to make a choice.

"Come on, Hicca. You're killing me!" Hicca muttered to herself. She turned back and looked between the hammer and the feather. If this was all about 'looking to herself', then she already knew the answer. As the room started to collapse around them, Hicca leapt towards her chosen pedestal.

She grabbed the feather tightly in her hands as Toothless curled around her, they still could see and exit yet, was there even supposed to be one?

Suddenly, rays of light started to stream in from above. After so long of being underground, Hicca had to shield her eyes as more and more light flooded the space, she just hopped they wouldn't get crushed.

But as it turned out, Hicca had once again made the right choice.

The stones that fell from directly above her were small and almost gravel like, while the stones and rocks grow larger the further away they were from her and Toothless. They were in the only safe spot.

Finally the rumbling stopped, and Hicca slowly opened her eyes to see the outside landscape around them. They were a little distance away from the rock formations where they'd started, they had travelled a short distance underground to where a small hill once stood. A few fallen trees scattered around them, but aside from that, the surrounding area was undisturbed. On top of all the other traps and tricks she'd witnessed today, Hicca had no doubts that her ancestor was nothing short of a genius.

"Hicca!" A loud yell woke Hicca from her trance.

She turned to see Stoick, Gobber, and the other teens running over the hill towards them. Hicca didn't know when her father and mentor had arrived, but that didn't really matter.

She was suddenly scooped into the air by her father, and pulled into a bone crushing hug. Stoick wasn't one to normally show affection, but right now he was overjoyed to see his child safe and sound, and it showed in just how tightly he hugged her.

"Uh, Dad... I can't breathe," Hicca wheezed. Stoick carefully placed her back on the ground, allowing the others to crowd around her.

"Hicca, you're okay," Arvid cried out happily.

"Thank Thor you're alive! What happened?" Fishlegs asked excitedly.

Snotlout however, was still keeping his priorities in order. "Who cares!? Where's treasure?"

Hicca gave a smirk and pulled the drawing from Toothless's saddle bag, it may not have been the treasure Snotlout and the others were expecting, but it was a treasure to her. She unrolled the paper to show them all, "This is Hamish's real daughter."

A surprised look crossed everyone's faces, especially Stoick's as he looked down at the picture of his ancestors.

"That's not treasure," Snotlout exclaimed.

But Stoick thought differently, "To a father it is." He knelt down beside Hicca and placed a hand on her shoulder, an apologetic look on his face, "I never meant to make you feel like that... like you had to go and do something like this."

Hicca nodded, a small smile on her face, "I know, Dad. But I had to... For myself."

That was the whole reason for all of this, the reason she'd gone on this guest, and the reason Hicca the Second had made the map in the first place. So that the next hiccup in line would know just how special they were, and could prove it to others.

As the sun began to set over the ocean, the teens and adults made their way back to the village. But Stoick made one last stop before heading home, he had one more painting to request from Bucket.

The next day, the shield painting of Stoick and Hicca was taken down from the walls of the Great Hall. And replaced with a new painting.

This one showing Hicca as she truly was.

 _I've spent most of my life trying to prove to my dad that I could be his kind of Viking. As it turns out... I already was._

End of episode 8.

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 **This chapter is another one I really like, lots of funny moments and a flowing storyline :)**

 **There were a few things I had trouble with though :/**

 **1\. In the original riddle it says Freya instead of Loki. However, Freya is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, not fire. After all the research I did for my Valhalla Crystal story, I know this for certain.**

 **2\. I have no idea what metal Hiccup/Hicca picked up, I have looked everywhere on the episode logs and details, but I can't find out anywhere. So I kept it as a simply unknown reflective metal.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	9. Dragon Flower

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Oh my god... the chapter took forever. So sorry about the long wait everyone, just had so much going on :/ But I'm happy to say I've now finished University and will be graduating on July 9th with a 2:1 BA Hons in Computer Animation :D So happy.**

 **Anyway... Chapter 9 is finally here :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 09**

 **Dragon Flower**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _Berk is a small island in the middle of nowhere. So when we get a taste of something new... We tend to go a little overboard. Unfortunately, new isn't always good._

Not many people realised just how much Hicca loved drawing. She could honestly spend the whole day sketching. She would never show anyone her drawings, except for the technical ones she showed Gobber, but that didn't stop her from filling book after book with charcoal drawings and sketches.

Right now she was using her knew quill to draw a portrait of Toothless in ink. After all the trouble they'd gone through to find Hicca the Second's treasure, she'd decided to keep the feather she gained and use it as a new writing tool.

But there was a problem.

Her quill was holding up fine, and Toothless was being a very good model, the problem was the ink. More specifically, the lack of it.

Hicca gave a grumble as she tilted her small pot to see inside it. She'd been saving that bottle of ink for ages, how could it be all gone already?

She and Toothless both jumped when a sudden cry rang out from outside. But it wasn't a shout of panic like they were used to, it was an excited yell. Hicca couldn't help but give a huge smile when she realised what the commotion was about.

Trader Johann was here.

Hicca grabbed her satchel and vaulted out of the house, Toothless right behind her as she ran towards the harbour, hoping she made it before all of the good stuff was gone.

Trader Johann travelled to all the islands all over the archipelago, collecting and exchanging artefacts, stories and hidden treasures from far beyond the horizons.

As his long boat pulled into the harbour, Johann lowered his gangplank and called out to the villagers of Berk. "Ah, Berk, my favourite of all the islands I travel to."

A few people quickly clambered onto the deck, with Bucket making a bee-line for the trader. "Where have you been this time, Johann?" He asked excitedly.

Johann gave a hearty laugh, "Oh, Bucket. The things I've seen, the people I've met! I'd need a week to regale you, but alas, we have limited time to conduct our business together." Johann turned and stood on top of the many barrels on his ship, calling out over the crowd once more. "Whatever you're looking for, I can assure you you'll find it here! I've got food of all sorts, spices, exotic animals, works of art, jewellery, not to mention... knowledge."

The trader stepped down from his stand, only for Fishlegs to run up to him, a small book clutched tightly in his hand. "Trader Johann, is this your only book on botany?"

"Yes, Mr. Fishlegs. Why it was given to me by the author himself." The trader bragged, hyping up the books value. He had a quick mind, and sharp tongue. Able to remember the names of everyone he came across, and how to intrigue them with his hordes.

Fishlegs reached into his pocket and pulled out a long thread, with three dragon teeth dangling from it. "Would you take this necklace? IT's made from baby dragons' teeth," The blond was clearly proud of his own work.

Johann took the necklace and examined it in his hand, then he gave a nod. "Fair enough Mr. Fishlegs."

By the time Hicca arrived, the others were already there, admiring the objects they'd brought. Snotlout was fawning over himself in a shiny metal plate, Arvid was tossing a mace in his hand as if it weighed nothing, and Gobber was practically drooling over a sheet of silk.

Hicca looked around the mounds of curious items, it had been over three months since Johann had last been to Berk and there were so many new items, but Hicca was looking for something specific. She knelt down between two large crates and finally discovered what she was looking for, a small bottle of black liquid.

"Oh, that's pure squid ink, Miss Hicca. Wrestled from the colossal squid of the Northern waters," Johann spoke up, noticing the item in the girl's hand.

Hicca reached into her satchel, looking through the inventions she had brought to trade with. "Well, how about this spyglass? You know, I built if myself."

The trader took the spyglass and looked it over. Hicca's new inventions were always interesting, and the spyglass was well designed... Just like the others she had given him. Johann was a business man first and foremost, and he knew the more common the item, the less it was worth.

"I know, you've given me five just like it. Unfortunately, I only have the two eyes." He gave the spyglass back to Hicca, "What else have you got?"

Hicca looked through her satchel and thought for a moment, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Johann rubbing at his shoulder, maybe she did have something he could use.

"What do you think of this winch? It will help you pull up your gangplank."

Johan gave a smile, "A welcome tool for a working man's ailing shoulder. Consider it done."

Hicca gave a large smile as she held her new vile of ink in her hand, she couldn't wait to do some more drawings. As she turned to head back home, Hicca spotted her father at the other end of the ship, swinging a sword to and fro, testing the balance as he swung.

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "Wow, another sword dad? Just what we need." It wasn't like their home already had dozens of weapons adorning each and every walls.

Stoick turned to his daughter, "If you must know, it's not for me. I'm heading off to my yearly meeting with the Chief of the Shivering Shores. The last man who showed up without a gift, left without a head."

Okay, her father had a point there. The tribe of the Shivering Shores were a fairly small tribe, but very savage. Keeping the peace with them was definitely a good idea. The tribe also respected power, so hopefully Stoick showing up on the back of a dragon would also lean in his favour.

Stoick turned to face Trader Johann, somehow completely unaware that he'd cut off the figure head of Johan's ship with his dynamic sword skills, that new sword was ridiculously sharp. "Johann, what will you take in trade?"

But Johann just bowed slightly in front of the chief, "Stoick! It is but your good graces I desire when my amble ship passes through Berk."

The chief gave a chuckle, "You'll always be welcome on our shores." With that, Stoick slipped the sword into the sheath at his side and disembarked from the ship. "I'll be back in five days," he told Hicca. But then he gave another chuckle, "What am I saying? I'll be back in two, thanks to Thornado."

Stoick stepped on the docks and was greeted by his blue Thunderdrum, patting him on the head as he climbed onto the saddle. The dragon gave a happy roar at the sound of his name, letting out a blast of air which Hicca was only just able to dodge, "Oh, you've finally named him?"

"That's right," Stoick stated proudly. "He has the power of Thor, and the ferocity of a tornado! And besides... It's the only thing he answers to!" Stoick held on to the reins tightly as the dragon bucked around on the wooden docks, obviously happy at the name he was given. "Turns out he can be quite stubborn."

"Can't imagine where he gets that," Hicca muttered to herself.

She watched as her father and his dragon took to the sky, riding off towards the east. Johann stepped beside her and also watched as the chief flew off. "Ah, men riding dragons. What a magnificent sight."

Hicca had to give Johann credit, he had handled the news about the trained dragons very well, getting over the shock much faster than others had. Maybe it had something to do with his line of work, he had to be very open minded and adaptable when travelling the open waters and trading with so many people.

But the peace was interrupted at the sound of a harsh shout, "Johann!"

The trader and Hicca both turned to see Mildew walking across the docks towards them. Hicca ducked to the side with Toothless, hoping to avoid the grouchy old man. She was actually having a very nice day, she didn't want that spoiled.

Johann turned and greeted Mildew as warmly as he greeted everyone, but the old man wasn't effective in the slightest. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Always straight to the point, I like that!" Johann commented, his smile unaffected by Mildews frown. He reached over to a large stack of baskets, slowly raising one of the lids and giving Mildew a peak of what was inside. Just as a crooked smile made its way to the old man's face, Johann shut the lid again. "I assume you've brought my cabbage?"

Mildew waved his staff towards a large basket he'd set down at the side of the ship, filled with cabbages from his farm. Fresh vegetables were so hard to come by at sea, and Johann was clearly pleased with the trade.

With that the old man turned and headed off the boat onto the docks, "Take these to my house."

Johann set down the basket and turned to get to work on moving Mildews' purchases, only to be confronted with a small green terror sniffing along the baskets.

"Now, now, little fella, that's not for you. Away with ya!" Johann raised his hands to try and shoo the small dragon away, but the Terror tried to bite him instead. "Ow! Feisty little one, isn't he?"

In hindsight, Johann didn't really think he next move through. He simply took the opportunity when the Terror was distracted, and picked him up by the tail, then tossing the little dragon behind him.

But the little dragon landed right next to Hicca and Toothless. Hicca looked down at the Terror worriedly, and Toothless, ever the protective one, didn't like seeing the terror treated in such a way. Toothless bared his teeth and growled, before lunging forward at Johann.

But in doing so, Toothless knocked into Hicca, jarring her arm and knocking the bottle from her hand.

The bottle shattered as it hit the deck of the ship, the black liquid pooling out.

Johann and Toothless didn't notice straight away, the dragon continued to snarl at the trader, who was too busy holding up his arms in surrender. "Safe distance, please!"

"Toothless, no!" Hicca ran in front and pushed on the dragon's snout. Once Toothless start settled down and stepped away from Johann, Hicca turned to him with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Johann. He's just protective."

Johann breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned back to the baskets, while Hicca turned to the mess on the deck. The bottle had broken into big and small pieces, and the ink inside had spilled out onto the deck, dripping between the gaps in the wooden planks.

Finally, Johann noticed the broken bottle, "Oh, sorry, lass. That way my last one. But rest assured; I'll find that colossal squid and wrestle you another bottle."

Hicca only nodded as she held a broken piece in her hand, Toothless gave a warble in apology. Johann offered to return the winch Hicca had traded, but she just shook her head, he needed it more than she did.

/LINE BREAK/

With the plans of drawing for the rest of the day spoiled, Hicca decided to join the other teens at the academy, where the twins were setting up something special.

Tuffnut was pushing a large wooden statue into the centre of the ring, it was made of light but strong Balsa wood, and carved into the shape of a gruesome Viking guard. It was similar to the stone golems that surrounded their island, only much smaller.

"How does that look?" Tuffnut asked his sister.

Ruffnut gazed at the statue with a smile, "Beautiful."

"You got it just for the Academy?" Hicca asked in surprise. She never would have imagined the twins wanting to do something just for the academy.

"Yeah, we got it from Trader Johann. We had to give him our great-grandfather's skull, but we got to keep his clavicle," Tuffnut confirmed.

Hicca didn't ask why they had kept their relatives bones, maybe it was just something the twins did. She was too busy admiring the statue. It was carved very well, and coated in some kind of thick resin, maybe it was fire proof.

"Wow!" Hicca turned back to Tuffnut with a smile. "You know, it's about time you guys started taking some pride in this place."

But before she could continue, Tuffnut threw himself to the ground and shouted, "Duck!"

"What?" Hicca was suddenly yanked to the ground by Tuffnut, as Ruffnut directed Barf and Belch to fire an explosion at the statue. The wooden golem skidded across the floor at the force of the blast and small scorch mark on its side.

Hicca rolled her eyes, she had actually thought the twins had done something good for the academy... how stupid of her.

"That was awesome! I wanna take a shot!" Snotlout shouted as he jumped onto Hookfang's saddle, ordering the dragon to also fire at the statue. The Monstrous Nightmare left an even bigger impact on the statue and pushed it back even further.

The other dragons soon joined in the fun of pushing the statue about with their blasts. Stormfly fired several spines into the golem's side, and Meatlug's blast left a deep impression in the front, then Toothless joined in.

But just as he gathered his fire in his throat, Toothless let out a sudden yelp. His blast hitting just to the right of the golem. Toothless sniffed a little but then let out another shot, this one sailing over Snotlout's head.

Hicca was instantly on her feet, a worried look on his face, "That's strange..." Toothless missed the target.

But Toothless never missed.

"Hey! Could you have your dragon cover his mouth when he sneezes!?" Snotlout yelled angrily.

"I-I'm sorry, but that's never happened before," Hicca tried to step closer to Toothless, but the dragon huddled in on himself, he looked almost embarrassed as he let out another sneeze into the ground.

A little while later, Hicca decided it was time for Toothless and her to leave, if he was unwell the it would be better to head home. Arvid rod on Stormfly and accompanied them as they flew back to the village.

As they approached Hicca's home, Arvid spotted something from above. Near the feeding tower just outside Hicca's house, there was a patch of tiny, bright blue flowers.

Arvid pointed them out, but was soon interrupted when Toothless gave another sudden sneeze and banked sharply to the left, barely missing Arvid as they tumbled over him. "Hey! What are you doing!?"

"It's not me!" Hicca yelled back, trying to get Toothless under control. But the dragons flying was erratic, he kept shaking his head and was starting to lose altitude fast. They crash landed on the hill near their home, and Hicca was flung off of Toothless's back. "Toothless! Are you okay, bud?" Hicca ran back to her dragon, he hadn't risen from where he'd crash landed and only looked up at her with a tired and sorry look.

Arvid landed and ran over to them to make sure they were okay. Hicca had experienced crash landings before so a few bruises didn't bother her, Toothless didn't seem to be hurt, but he did give a low whimper.

"Maybe he's got a cold or something," Hicca wondered. "Do dragons even get colds?"

Arvid frowned, he didn't have an answer. Just then, a high pitched gurgle caught their attention. Arvid looked up to see a small green Terrible Terror flying shakily above them, the small dragon gave another squeak and fell to the ground, sneezing up a small burst of fire.

The blond boy stepped closer and picked up the Terror, the dragon didn't protest and curled up in Arvid's arms. "Well, whatever it is, looks like he's got it, too."

Arvid decided to take the Terror home with him, while Hicca helped Toothless inside. She called on Gobber for help, and after a long while, the blacksmith had cooked up a supposed cure.

Gobber used his hook hand to lift the caldron off the fire, being careful not to spill any of the bubbling green fluid inside. "This will fix him right up," he assured Hicca.

Hicca sat on the floor beside Toothless, stroking his head to comfort him. "What is that?"

"It's best not to ask. But whatever you do, don't touch it."

Unfortunately, Toothless couldn't control his sneezing, and shot another blast into the caldron. The liquid splashed out and landed on Gobber's clothes, a few globules landing in his moustache.

The blond man gave a grumble, "Well, that's ruined. I'll never get that yak o vomit again."

Hicca didn't want to know.

She stroked Toothless's head to comfort him, just as Arvid bust into the house, a worried look on his face. "Hicca! You need to see this."

Hicca and Arvid rushed outside, only to be confronted with the sight of every dragon on the island acting strangely.

The other teens were all trying to control their dragons as they dropped and banked wildly in the sky. Hookfang was banked and crashed into one of the feeding dishes, Barf and Belch suddenly dropped out of the sky and crashed through someone's roof, and Meatlug could stop spinning as she tried to stay level.

"It's spreading to all the other dragons," Hicca realised in horror. One sick dragon, and possibly two, was enough. But every dragon on the island? Hicca whirled round to look at Gobber, panic clear on her face, "How do we stop this!?"

Gobber took a second to think, he honestly didn't have an answer, but maybe someone else did. "Gothi! She'll know what to do!"

It took a little while for the elderly woman to travel down from her mountain top home, but thankfully she was there to take a look at Toothless. Hicca, Gobber, Arvid and Fishlegs all stood aside and watched her work.

"I've heard Gothi can tell when you're going to die, just by looking at your fingernails," Arvid whispered, causing Fishlegs to hide his hands behind his back, he really didn't want to know the answer to that question.

"Ah, that's just an old wives tale," Gobber spoke up, allowing Fishlegs breathed a sigh of relief. "She looks at your tongue," the large blond clamped his hands over his mouth.

Gothi looked Toothless over, opening his eyes and looking in his mouth. She lowered the Night Fury's head to the ground, scratching her chin as she walked over to her tools. Gothi picked up four long human bones, rattling them together and then throwing onto the ground, allowing them to fall where they may.

Of course the others had no clue what the elder was doing, all they saw were four bones scattered on the floor, but to Gothi, the bones were giving her the answer. She scattered some sand on the ground and picked up her staff, Gobber stepped closer to read the scrawls.

"She says they're reacting to something, like they're allergic," Gobber translated to the others.

"Allergic? To what?" Hicca asked as she stroked Toothless's head.

Gothi scattered more sand and formed new patterns with her staff, Gobber watched, but a frown formed on his face. "A moose wearing boots... Shouldn't be hard to find."

Gothi frowned and smacked the blacksmith on the head with her staff.

"I didn't think that was right," Gobber admitted, rubbing the growing bump on his head. Gothi went over her drawing again with her stick, trying to make her message clearer. "Ah, they're allergic to something new that's just come to the island. But that still looks like a moose," he whispered to the teens, receiving another hit from Gothi.

"There's a lot of new things on the island. Trader Johann was just here," Arvid pointed out.

Gobber watched as Gothi scratched some jagged lines over her drawings, "She says to get rid of everything, immediately. Otherwise it's just going to get worse." He turned and looked at Toothless worriedly, "The dragons are going to get sicker."

Hicca ran her hands over Toothless's scales, a heavy weight dropping onto her shoulders. Her father wasn't here, so she and Gobber would have to be the ones to tell the other villagers. She just hopped they weren't too upset about losing all their new stuff.

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca, Gobber, and the other teens spread the words around the village, and everyone met on the west beach of the island just before sunset. A large pit was dug into the sand, big enough and deep enough so that all of the newly traded items could be buried away.

One by one, the villagers threw their stuff into the pit, clothes, objects, food items, even books. All dumped into the sand.

Hicca stood near the edge of the pit with Arvid by her side, both trying to reassure the people, "I know it's hard, but I promise you, you're doing a good thing. You're helping the dragons."

"It's the least we can do for them," Arvid spoke up.

Amongst the other people, the teens were also there. Snotlout saying goodbye to his reflection before throwing in the shine plate he traded for. Just behind him, Ruffnut was yelling in annoyance at Fishlegs, the blond flicking through his new book as quickly as possible.

"What are you doing? Just throw it in!"

"I'm sorry! But this botany book is a real page-turner! I got to know how it ends!"

But before he could finish, the female twin finally lost patience, grabbing the small book and hurling it into the hole.

Hicca looked around the people still gathered on the beach, doing a quick head count of all the villagers and the items they'd thrown in. Then her eyes landed on Gobber.

"I didn't see you throw anything in the pile, and I thought I saw you buy something from Trader Johann." Hicca confronted the blacksmith.

"He did," Arvid confirmed. "He bought silk."

"Hand it over, Gobber."

But Gobber shook his head, "Can't do that, Hicca. It's... uh... currently in use. It's my skivvies, they're glorious!"

Gobber was practically giddy with joy. But Hicca pt her hands on her hips and gave her mentor her best glare.

Gobber gave a grumble, Hicca had really inherited her mother's glare. "Fine..."

The older man scurried behind a large boulder and quickly removed the silk garments, throwing them over the boulder and down into the pit, he remerged a few moments later and grumbled to himself as his walk past Hicca and Arvid.

There was a slight pause as the two went over in their heads what they'd just seen, it could not be unseen.

"I could have gone my whole life without seeing that," Hicca muttered to herself.

Still at least now the dragons would start getting better.

Right?

/LINE BREAK/

Unfortunately, things were rarely so simple.

The next morning, the dragons were not only still unwell, but they were all getting worse. They were all sneezing and seemed very weak, some of them were barely able to move.

The teens all met outside Hicca's home, trying to figure out if they'd missed anything.

"We got rid of everything from Trader Johann, but our dragons still aren't getting better, they're getting worse!" Fishlegs stated worriedly.

Hicca paced in front of the others, "L-Let's make a list. Maybe there's somebody who traded something from Trader Johann but hasn't thrown it into the pit."

"Yeah, there must have been someone who didn't want to give up what they traded, "Arvid nodded with a frown.

Snotlout uncrossed his arms and stomped forward, his fists clenched tightly. "When I find out who was holding back, I'm going to be so mad! Hookfang was so sick, I was up all night scraping dragon barf off our walls!"

The others cringed at the thought, none of them wanted to think about Monstrous Nightmare vomit. But then they're attention was directed towards Tuffnut as he spoke up.

"You think that's bad? Well... ours is dead," He gestured to Barf and Belch, who lay heavy and motionless on the ground. Hicca and Arvid both gasped in horror, had the twin's two headed dragon really died!?

Apparently not.

Tuffnut gave a small chuckle, as the others soon realised that the two dragon heads were twitching and stirring in their sleep. "Just kidding, but he's really not that fun anymore."

"He just sits there. He won't blow anything up!" Ruffnut complained.

Hicca glared at the twins for a moment, when a sudden shadow across the sky and a roar caught her attention. The teens turned just in time to see Thornado land just on top of the hill outside the Haddock home.

"Hicca!" Stoick's booming voice rang out as he dismounted from the Thunderdrum and made his way down the stone steps towards them. "Put this in the Book of Dragons! Never fly on a stomach full of under-cooked mutton. The Shivering Shores will never be the same."

Hicca didn't say anything, she didn't need to. Her father may have been a bit slow sometimes, but he soon picked on the heavy atmosphere. He also noticed the worried faces of his daughter and her friends, and the ill looking Nightmare and Zippleback lying around;

"Hicca? What's wrong?"

"It's the dragons, Dad. They're..." Hicca trailed off. How was she supposed to tell her father that in the short time he'd been gone, every single dragon on the island had fallen ill.

Thankfully, Arvid took over for her. "They're sick! And getting worse."

"Ever dragon?" Stoick asked in disbelief, only to be greeted by a worried nod from the teens.

Stoick quickly made his way around the village, checking on everyone and their dragons and assessing the situation for himself. He then met up with Hicca back at their home just after sunset, there he was met with the sight of a very ill looking Toothless.

By far, the Night Fury was the strongest dragon on the island, but seeing him look so tired and weak... it unnerved Stoick.

"Poor guy. What do you think happened?" Stoick asked as he knelt down next to his daughter in front of the fire.

Hicca ran her slight shaking hands over Toothless's scaly head, "I-I don't know... Gothi says they're allergic to something new to the island, but we think we've gotten rid of everything."

"But if the dragons aren't getting better..."

Hicca rose to her feet with a defiant look, she wasn't going to stop until she found out what was causing this."Then something must still be here that's making them sick."

Before Hicca could say anything else, a strange sound caught their attention. Like a strangled groan crossed with a weak roar.

Stoick stood with a frown, "Thornado!"

He and Hicca made their way outside, travelling around to the side of the Haddock house towards the newly built stable. Unlike Toothless, Thornado preferred sleeping outside under the wooden structure. That's where they found him.

The blue Thunderdrum looked almost green, but before Hicca could get a closer look, Stoick yanked her back. Thornado's whole body gave a jerk, as a sonic wave was forced out of his throat in a thunderous sneeze.

"Sneezing! That's the first symptom," Hicca said with a worried look.

"He was fine until we got back," Stoick stepped closer, noticing the slight shakes that ran through the Thunderdrum.

"We should retrace your steps." Hicca ran off to find the other teens, whilst her father made a quick journey around the village looking for anything out of place. They had to find out what was causing the illness.

But by the time everyone made up a little while later, Stoick had made his way around the village once more, seeing nothing different and ending up on the hill outside their home once more. "Well, this is where I landed"

Hicca nodded, "Okay, look around for anything unusual."

The teens and Stoick split up to look for anything strange in the stretch of land from the Haddock home, to the foot of the steps leading up to the great hall. Snotlout was the only one not present, Hookfang was still keeping him busy with him upset stomach.

"Dose that count?" Fishlegs spoke up and pointed towards the stone steps where the twins stood. Or rather, where the twins were hunched over and running at each other like and couple of head-butting sag, their helmets clanged together and sent the two blonds sprawling back.

Ruffnut shakily leaned up on her elbows, "I'm seeing stars!"

"No way! Me too!" Tuffnut responded excitedly.

Arvid rolled his eyes, "Nothing unusual there." He smirked and turned to Hicca, only to see a frown on her face. "Hicca? What is it?"

She didn't say anything, but watched as a small Terrible Terror sniffed and growled at a bush of bright blue flowers. Those weren't there before, were they?

Hicca walked up to the bush and picked up one of the small blue flowers, the others followed curiously. "Does anyone remember seeing these flowers before?"

"They were here when I got back," Stoick responded.

Fishlegs took the flower form Hicca and examined it in his larger hand. "It looks an awful lot like the Blue Oleander. I recognize it from my botany book, chapter eight."

"Is there anything specific you can remember?" Hicca asked almost anxiously, they could be onto something.

"They're very beautiful, very soft, perennial," He listed off as he looked down at the flower. But then his eyes grew wide. "Ann... Poisonous to reptiles!"

"Which means poisonous to dragons!" Hicca realised. "This is serious, did your book say anything about a cure?"

Fishlegs had been petting the flower gently in his hand, but now he threw the horrible plant to the side, "I don't know, because someone made me throw it in a pit!"

"Well go back and dig it up!" Hicca ordered. Fishlegs took off into the fastest run he could manage, Hicca was quite scary when he shouted.

Arvid stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her, "I don't understand, where did these flowers even come from?"

"Mildew." The others all turned to look at Tuffnut, who just stood there as if everything was fine. "I saw him plant them the other night."

Snotlout finally showed up, but he stayed quiet as Arvid turned to glare at the male twin. "And you didn't think that was strange?"

"No! Well, maybe... I don't know! Quite pressuring me!" Tuffnut turned away as Arvid Hicca and Stoick all fixed their glares on him.

Stoick was distracted as Thornado let out another thunderous sneeze, the air rippling about their heads. Stoick stood up straight, he frowned and looked towards the large mountain at the edge of the village. On the other side, sat Mildew's hut.

"Let's go pay the old man a visit."

/LINE BREAK/

A little while later, Stoick, Hicca and Arvid made their way up the hill to Mildews house. Stoick knocked loudly on the front door before forcing his way inside. Mildew was not happy with them barging into his home, but Stoick was chief, so there wasn't much the old man could do about it. Stoick wouldn't have listened anyway, if Mildew really was responsible for the dragon's being ill, Stoick was going to make him pay.

"Well, so what if I planted some flowers? The town square has never looked better. I was merely trying to spread some beauty and happiness." Mildew tried to argue his case as he held his sheep, Fungus under his arm. But the others weren't buying it.

"Since when have you ever cared about beauty or happiness?" Arvid asked with a scowl.

Hicca pointed a "You did this, you made the dragons ill."

Stoick simply glared at the old man while Mildew stuttered an excuse. "What? Me? Ha! Well, I had no inkling, Stoick, that these flowers had special properties." It was painfully obvious that Mildew was lying, but where he found such information, Hicca didn't know. "It's true, I'm no friend of the dragons, but in this case, on my life, I was not trying to harm them."

Stoick thought for a moment, Mildew was most likely lying, but they really had no evidence. He gave a sigh and ushered the two teens out the door, "Let's go."

"Ah, the poor, poor dragons." Hicca glared over her shoulder at the sound of Mildew's uncaring tone, but they couldn't focus on him now, they had to help the dragons.

By the time they got back to the village, the others were gathered outside the forge. All of the other dragons, including Toothless had gathered around the forge, they all seemed anxious, but also very tired. Fishlegs also returned a little while later with his slightly sandy botany book.

"Fishlegs! You found your botany book?" Hicca called out as he got closer.

"What does it say?" Arvid asked.

Fishlegs tried to say something, but all that came out was a mix of sobs and panting, Hicca spoke softly to help him settle down, "Calm down, talk to me."

Fishlegs took a deep breath, "My botany book says that Blue Oleander is poisonous to reptiles! And dragons are reptiles!"

Hicca tried to keep her voice calm, while at the same time hoping Fishlegs would get to the point. "We know that, was there anything else?"

Fishlegs shook his head, "Not in here. But I do remember the Book of Dragons talking about a dragon that feeds on the Blue Oleander." The large blond, reached into his satchel, putting away his small book on plants, and pulling out the larger Book of Dragons. "It's called the Scauldron. In a perfect world, if it eats the flowers, maybe it's venom can be used as an antidote, like with snakes and spiders."

Just as Fishlegs was starting to look hopeful, his face fell, "But alas, we do not live in a perfect world." He flicked through the pages and opened up the book to show everyone the water dragon, "Look! The Scauldron has no venom!"

Tuffnut moved closer and looked over the drawing on the page, "No... But it looks cool!"

"Don't you understand? The book says no venom!"

Tuffnut was forced to take a step back as Fishlegs thrust the book of Dragons towards him, "Okay, got it! No venom!"

But as Tuffnut's voice repeated what Fishlegs had been reading from the book, Gobber's voice rang out from the back of the forge. "The book is wrong!"

Everyone turned to face him. "I've dealt with a Scauldron before. They're sixty feet long, with razor sharp teeth! And they'll shoot boiling water that melt the flesh from your bones! The Scauldron has no fear. No conscience. But what the Scauldron does have is venom! And lots of it!"

Hicca had no doubt that Gobber was making the dragon sound far more deadly than it really was, he always did. But there was always truth in what he told them. The water dragon known as Scauldrons did spit boiling water, and Gobber wouldn't lie about the venom.

Hicca turned to the other teens, "Aright... You guys stay here and take care of the dragons."

"What are you going to do?" Fishlegs asked.

"Dad? Gobber? Let's go find ourselves a Scauldron!" She said with a determined look.

Gobber gave a large grin, "I thought you'd never ask!"

/LINE BREAK/

While Stoick went to prepare the ship and gather a few men, Fishlegs gave the Book of Dragon to Hicca, and the teens started leading their dragons back to their homes, hopefully they would be more comfortable until they returned.

Hicca helped Toothless up the stairs and onto his warmed rock-slab bed, it was strange to see the Night Fury moving so slowly. Hicca stroked his head as she quickly looked through information on Scauldrons, if they were going to find one of them, she wanted to be prepared. All of the pictures in the book were very detailed, the Scauldron was no different.

The image showed the long necked dragon spewing water in a long stream from its mouth, the water was steaming in the picture. "Look at that thing..." Hicca muttered to herself, she really didn't want to be on the receiving end of that.

She closed the book and placed in on her desk, then she knelt next to Toothless. "You just hang on, bud. I'll be back before you know it."

Toothless gave a whine and tried to get comfortable, while Hicca wore a worried frowned and hoped her words weren't just words. She hoped they succeeded in their mission, if they failed... She didn't want to think about it.

They had to find that Scauldron, and they had to get the venom.

They just had to.

Hicca gave Toothless's head one last stroke under the chin, and made sure there was some fish nearby in case he woke up. Then she made her way down the stairs, hoping her father had returned, meaning everything on the ship was prepared.

She was just about to head outside, when she heard a voice floating through the window. "How's my dragon warrior?" It sounded like her father's voice, only much softer than normal. Who was he talking to?

Hicca carefully opened the door and followed the voice around to the stables. She heard Thornado give an uncomfortable gurgle, and peaked round the corner. Stoick was kneeling in front of the dragon, lifting the beasts head as he moved a sack of sand under his jaw like a pillow.

Thornado gave a thankful look as Stoick sat back, his expression seemed a little unsure, like he didn't know what to think. "I spent my whole life trying to kill them... Now look at me."

Hicca silently listened to her father, by the sounds of it, he was feeling the same as her. He really had a connection with the dragons now, and he wanted to help them.

Hicca stepped out from her hiding spot and stood behind her father, now wanting to interrupt his thoughts but knowing that they couldn't just sit still any longer. If the ship was ready, then they had to go.

"Dad, it's time. The boats ready."

Stoick nodded, he patted Thornado once more on the head, then stood and walked with Hicca towards the docks.

/LINE BREAK/

There was only a handful of stars in the sky that night, the rest along with half of the moon were hidden behind a cloud. The water looked almost black, and the rolling fog made everything look eerie. The silence would have also added to the unnerving feeling... if it hadn't been broken by Mildew's complaining.

"Well, this is an outrage! I dug up all the flowers! I did my part!"

Hicca blocked her ears as the old man shouted, since when was anything not an outrage?

Hicca, Stoick, Gobber, Mildew, and a few other men had taken a small long boat into the deep waters, hoping to draw out a Scauldron. Hicca just hopped Mildew's loud voice wouldn't scare ay away.

"We're all out here because of you, Mildew," Stoick told him with a frown. "If we all have to put our lives at risk, then so do you!"

Mildew looked suddenly insulted, "You have no proof, Stoick! You can't blame me every time something goes amiss with your precious dragons."

Gobber rolled his eyes and handed a wooden bucket to Stoick, "Alright, what's the plan?"

Stoick looked around and then turned to his daughter, handing her the bucket. The wooden structure had a thick tarp tied over the top of it. "Hicca, when Gobber and I secure the Scauldron's head, Sven will wedge its jaw open. We'll need you to-"

"Drain the poison into the bucket. Got it." Hicca already knew what her job was, she was the only one small enough to squeeze between the dragons jaw with the least risk of being bitten. Every part of this mission was dangerous, but if it meant getting the dragons well again, Hicca would do anything.

"Let's get started." She placed the bucket down by the mast, and picked up one of the bags holding some of the Blue Oleander flower that Mildew had collected. "This is what Scauldrons eat, it'll draw them to the boat," she explained as she started pulling the flowers out of the bag and throwing handfuls into the dark water below. Now they just had to wait, and hope that at least one water dragon took the bait.

As expected, nothing appeared straight away. But after a full hour, Hicca was becoming worried, and she was running low on flowers to attract the dragons.

"Bah!" Mildew exclaimed in annoyance. Honestly, how could a 15 year old girl have more patience than an old man? "It was a stupid idea to begin with!"

Hicca almost told Mildew exactly what was on her mind, but her father held her back. "Easy, Hicca. That's not why we're here."

"But that is."

The others turned at Gobber's words, he and a few others were looking over the side of the boat into the water. It seemed Hicca's plan had worked.

There was a large, green, shape circling around the boat, just below the water's surface.

"A Scauldron!" Stoick whispered.

"I may need to change my skivvies again," Gobber noted.

It was hard to see, but they could already tell the dragon was very large almost bigger than the ship, and just as wide. It was hard to tell through the rippled water, but the wings were spread wide, as if it was flying through the water. As they watched, the dragon rose closer to the surface, parts of its long body pulling out of the water before slipping back under the waves.

They spotted the spines running the length of its large body, leading to a fanned green tail. Then the wide head appeared at the side of the ship, showing off its stretched mouth and bloated throat, before diving back into the water.

For a moment, Hicca was stunned like the others, she ran back to the side of the ship and grabbed one of the remaining bags of flowers. She tipped it out and spilled the flowers over the deck, "We need to lure the Scauldron on deck!"

"Oh, that's great. Get it on the ship where it can have at us all!" Mildew scoffed.

The others ignored him and jumped into action, there was no telling when the dragon would rear its head again, so they had to be ready. "Gobber! Secure its neck with this! I'll lasso his horn!" Stoick ordered as he threw a long line of rope to Gobber.

But when Gobber looked over the side, he couldn't see the dragon at all in the dark blue water, "Where did it go?"

It didn't leave, did it? It had followed them , surely it wouldn't give up now.

No one knew. They could only wait in deadly silence for something, anything, to happen.

Just as the silence was becoming unbearable, one of the men let out a yell. His oar had been wrenched from his hand and dragged out into open water before slipping under the surface. It felt like the dragon was toying with them.

Suddenly a bulge in the water came rocketing towards them, it hit the boat and sent it shooting into the air. Everyone was tossed into the air and came landed back on deck with a thud, water splashing onto the deck as they tried to regain their footing.

Finally the dragon showed himself again, it's long neck sticking out of the water, and it's beady eyes glaring down at them as water dripped down its scaly body. The dragon heaved itself onto the ship, forcing half of it off the surface at a shear angle.

"Hang on, everybody!" Gobber yelled. He and Stoick grabbed onto the railing of the ship, while Mildew fell and clung to the mast. Some of the men unfortunately slid down the ship into the water, but thankfully the dragon ignored them and let them be. But Hicca's gripped slipped from the railing, she let out a cry as she slid straight for the dragon.

"Hicca!" Stoick tried to reach her but he was too slow.

Gobber let go of the railing and slid down after Hicca, grabbing her arm and catching one of the boards of the deck. "Gotcha!"

Mildew let out another yell as a bag of flowers came flying at him, hitting him in the face and spilling some petals onto him. He spat out some petals from his mouth and tossed the bag aside, letting the contents fall towards the dragon.

The Scauldron gave a deep gurgle when it spotted its prize, bending it's neck down to lap up the flowers.

"Gobber! Here's our chance!" Stoick called out. He let go of the railing and slid down the deck, grabbing a handful of rope and throwing it at the dragon, lassoing the horn on its nose. The dragon caught onto the attack and tried to pull away, but Gobber threw another rope around its neck, reeling it back in. As the dragons' weight shifted, the boat fell again and levelled out once more. The Vikings were shaken, but thankfully still standing.

The dragon almost slipped back into the water, but Stoick and Gobber pulled on the ropes again. "We can't let the dragon get back into the water! Sven! We need that barrel now!"

The Viking grabbed a large barrel and carefully drew closer to the dragons snapping jaws, ready to wedge its mouth open.

"I've got the bucket!" Hicca yelled at the ready.

"Careful! You don't want to get that venom in you!"

"Yes, I know, Dad! I'll be dead in 24 hours!"

As soon as the dragons' mouth was open, she had to get in there.

As the water dragon snapped its jaws, Sven took the opportunity and threw the barrel into its open mouth. The snapping stopped when the large jaws were forced open, the barrel holding strong. But before the others could give a triumphant yell, the Scauldron chomped down on the barrel, breaking it into splinters. They had only made him angry now.

"Sven! Look out!" Stoick tried to call out. But the dragon whipped its fanned tail round and knocked the Viking aside and into the water.

The dragon tugged against the ropes trying to break free, while its tail shifted under the water towards the other side of the ship. It rose out of the water behind Hicca and prepared to swipe her aside too.

"Hicca, behind you!" Stoick let go of the rope he'd been clutching and rushed over to his daughter, pushing her aside just as the tail swung at them.

Hicca fell to the ground but quickly turned at the sound of her father's yell, "Dad!"

But instead of being knocked aside, Stoick clung to the tail tightly. Refusing to let go as the tail tried desperately to shake him off, smacking him into the deck and cross the railing. Stoick managed to find his footing and held the tail in place, finally able to stop it from thrashing. "I got his tail!"

"Hicca, grab your dad's line!" Gobber called out to her.

"Got it!" She was nowhere near as strong or heavy as her father, but she wrapped the rope around a hook on the railing to keep hold of it.

"Pull him in! Use the mast to winch his jaw open!" Stoick ordered, still clutching to the tail in his beefy arms.

Gobber pulled on his rope and forced the dragons' head forwards, while Hicca's rope jugged on the horn and forced its head to turn the side with its mouth open. They kept pulling until the long line of teeth appeared either side of the mast, forcing another shudder and yelp from Mildew, who still had his back to the mast.

"Mildew! Grab the bucket!" Stoick yelled.

Mildew looked down to see the small bucket rolling at his feet, it was a miracle it hadn't been thrown overboard in all the commotion. But the old man was less than eager to help, "Hold on! It's one thing for me to-"

But Stoick cut him off with a thunderous roar. "Grab the bucket or I'll throw you overboard myself!"

Mildew didn't put up anymore of a fight, he shakily picked up the bucket and edged around the side of the mast towards the lower row of teeth.

But a sudden gushing sound caught their attention. From deep within the dragon, the water was boiling, and being forced up the dragons throat towards them.

"Everyone take cover!"

Mildew didn't waist anytime dropping the bucket and running towards an upturned crate. Hicca grabbed a shield and rushed over to Gobber, the two of the huddled behind it just in time as a shrill whistle filled the air.

The boiling water cascaded out in a harsh torrent, hitting the shields and wood with such force it felt like they would break. But thankfully their cover held strong.

The Scauldron, no longer held back by the ropes, reared back and ripped its tail away from Stoick, throwing the chief into the water.

"Dad!" Hicca tried to run over to see if he was alright, but Gobber held her back. Stoick would be fine, he'd pull himself out of the water in no time. But the dragon wasn't being held back by anything now. He was free, and very angry.

The dragon looked around and spotted Mildew still crouching behind the crate, it let out a screech and frightened the old man out of his hiding place. But as Mildew ran like a headless chicken from one side of the ship to the other, the dragon spotted what he'd been looking for.

A single blue flower. The very last Blue Oleander, was stuck to the back of Mildews tunic.

The dragon lunged forward and caught the man in his jaws, forcing a cry of pain from him and lifting him into the air. When the tunic tore and Mildew was dropped back on deck, the Scauldron no longer had a reason to stay. It turned and slinked back into the water, leaving the ship behind.

Stoick pulled himself out of the water and onto the boat, just in time to join Hicca and Gobber as they watched the dragon swim away.

"He's gone," Hicca said with a groan as she looked over the side of the boat.

"And you can bet the last place he's coming back to is this ship," Gobber stated. He was right, they had missed their chance, and failed in their mission.

"We didn't get the venom," Stoick said quietly, almost in disbelief.

But a loud shriek pulled their attention away from the water. They all turned and spotted Mildew still lying on the deck, his bloated behind sticking up in the air.

"Yes, we did," Hicca said with small smile. It wasn't exactly as they had planned, but they had succeeded.

"Get this venom out of me!"

/LINE BREAK/

After helping everyone else out of the water and back onto the boat, the Vikings made their way quickly back to Berk, Mildew howling all the way.

The teens were waiting for them when they returned, and were all very amused by the story Hicca had to tell. Gobber and Stoick took Mildew back to the blacksmiths to extract the poison. In hindsight they could have taken him to Gothi's to have her remove the poison, but Gobber insisted it would have taken too long. Besides he had just the right tools for the job.

As the teens waited outside, they all listened to Mildews shots and screams.

"No-no-no! W-w-wait-wait-wait! Isn't there something a little smaller you could use?" The old man babbled as he spotted Gobber pulling down a large set of bellows from the wall.

Gobber only gave a shrug, "Probably."

There was a moment of silence, before a loud and painful scream erupted from the blacksmiths.

"That's the sound of our dragons getting better," Arvid commented with a small smirk.

A little while later, Gobber trudged out of the shop. A disgusted look on his face, and a small jug clutched in his hand.

"I've seen a Nadders' spine slice through a man's eyeball like a grape. I've watched my own arm get devoured by a Monstrous Nightmare. But never have I seen anything so disturbing... as that old man's bare behind!" He trudged over to Hicca and handed her the jug solemnly. "Here. Take this to your dragons. I'm going into the forest to scream."

"Way to take one for the team, Gobber," Hicca called after him as he made his way towards the line of trees at the edge of the village. Hopefully he wouldn't be scared for life.

A few hours later, Gobber's screams could be heard in the distance, while everyone else in the village was tending to their dragons. Hicca had split the antidote with the other teens and anyone else on the island who owned a dragon, leaving a small portion for Toothless and Thornado.

When they got home, Stoick gave a Thornado half of the remaining liquid, and Hicca took the other half to Toothless. Toothless gave a whine but soon settled down with his head resting against Hicca's leg.

The only thing they could do now was wait, and hope it worked. They had assumed that the Scauldrons venom could cure the sickness caused by the blue flowers, but it had never been tested before. There was no way of knowing what was going to happen, or if it would have any effect at all.

Hicca didn't voice these thoughts aloud, and when her father came up to check on Toothless after giving the antidote to Thornado, she instead reassured him. "Relax, Dad. It's going to be fine."

Stoick nodded, but the worried look didn't leave his face. As he left, Hicca nestled her head against Toothless's head, resting her eyes after such a long night.

Just as she was getting comfortable, Toothless's head nudged her. She opened her eyes and looked down at him, already he looked far more alert then he had been. The antidote really was working.

Once Toothless was able to stand without shaking, he followed Hicca outside to where her father was still pacing. "Dad, they're coming around," She said with a smile.

Stoick looked surprised at first, then a grumble from behind him made him turn. Thornado was looking up at him with tired eyes, but a large smile on his long mouth.

Stoick gave a loud laugh, "Ha, ha! Thornado!" He yelled happily and kneeled in front of his dragon, resting her head against the Thunderdrum's muzzle. It was a little strange to see, but Thornado cooed happily and nuzzled the chief's head.

Hicca turned back to Toothless with a warm smile, stroking his snout with her small hand, "How are you feeling, bud?" The dragon responded with a happy roar, and fired a plasma blast into the sky. It flew straight as an arrow, unaccompanied by a sneeze and exploded into a ring of purple light against the dark sky.

"Good to have you back, bud."

 _A deadly flower, a venomous sea dragon... and Mildew's butt. Three things I never thought I'd have to deal with in the same day... But I'd do it all again for my dragon._

End of episode 9.

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 **This chapter took so long to do, but I'm glad it's finally up :) Let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time, hopefully without such a large pause in between this time :)**


	10. Heath Report: Part I

**Chapter 10 is finally here, and we're now a 1/4 of the way through this story :) I have now seen the new series of HTTYD Race to the Edge, and I absolutely love it :) So if a lot of people request it, then I will also include it at the end of this story :) In the mean time, Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 10**

 **Heath Report: Part I**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

 **Heather – Heath**

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Through the forest on the cliffs of Berk, Toothless and Hicca soared and dived in between the trees and branches.

They were taking part in a new challenge set up by the other teens at the academy. Flying around the sea stacks in the quickest time possible, it started as a race, but it became a good exercise to improve the dragon's speed. And of course, Hicca was more than happy to prove just how fast Toothless was.

"Yeah! Come on bud!" Hicca called out in excitement as they passed the academy flag, the starting point of the race.

"Here they come!" Arvid yelled to the others.

Fishlegs stood by the sundial, and marked the shadow with chalk, starting the countdown.

Toothless rocketed through the air, circling around the halfway flag at one of the furthest rocks. Hicca spotted the final flag and directed Toothless towards it, feeling the wind whip past her as she and Toothless flew back towards the academy. Night Fury's were no doubt one of the fastest dragons alive, and Hicca intended to keep that title.

Fishlegs marked the shadow on the sundial again as Toothless made a sharp turn around the halfway flag, getting ready to mark the dial again and Toothless soared over head.

With a final mark from the chalk, Fishlegs examined the marks. "Yep, it's a new course record," he stated. Then again, he had no doubt Toothless and Hicca would be triumphant.

"So?" Hicca asked as Toothless landed in the academy. "How'd we do?"

Fishlegs pulled out his book and marked down the times, "Technically you're still the fastest, but someone, and I won't mention who, is gaining significant ground."

Hicca's eyes widened, someone else and their dragon was catching up to her and Toothless? Who?

She looked around at the other riders in the academy. It couldn't Fishlegs, mostly because he didn't take part in the time trials. She looked up at the twins, who were currently trying to untangle their helmets from each other.

"Don't look at us!" Tuffnut stated.

So it wasn't the twins either, and Snotlout wasn't here. That only left...

As Hicca's eyes fell on Arvid, he looked over his shoulder and gave her a sly smile. Stormfly was catching up to Toothless?

Either that, or was something wrong with Toothless? Something making him slower?

"How can that be? How can Toothless be getting slower?" She asked with concern.

"He's not," Fishlegs showed her his book. Just as he said, Toothless's times were staying steady. "Stormfly's getting faster."

Hicca was still surprised, but judging by how smug Arvid was, she had the feeling he was up to something. "Oh, really? Anything you'd like to share, Arvid?" She asked with a smirk.

Arvid turn to them with an almost innocent smile. "Let's just say I'm experimenting with what she eats. Apparently, it's working."

As if in response, Stormfly let out a sudden burp along with some magnesium sparks. To say that Hicca and Fishlegs were curious would be an understatement.

But their curiosities were interrupted by a sudden exited yell from above. They turned to see Hookfang swooping into the arena, Snotlout on his neck still cheering himself. "You will not believe what I just found!"

"A severed head?" Tuffnut sked.

"Our cousin, Lars?"

"Our cousin Lars' severed head?"

Fishlegs turned to the twins with a look of horror, "Lars died?"

While Arvid and Hicca ignored the twins, Snotlout yelled at them to get back their attention. "Um, excuse me? Do you guys want to see this, or not?" With that he turned Hookfang around and took flight, leaving the others to follow him to the beach.

/LINE BREAK/

When they finally arrived at the beach it was almost sunset, but even in the dying light, the teens could make out a small boat. It was turned upside down with its mast thrown against its side, possibly wrecked in a storm before being washed up here.

"Huh. A wrecked boat on Berk? Yeah, there's something new," Tuffnut said sarcastically.

Snotlout ignored then and stepped closer to the wreck, "Just remember, I saw it first, so it's mine."

He knelt down and looked through a hole in the boats side, gesturing for the others to come look. But when Hicca and the others knelt down to look inside, they were shocked to find a person.

They were lying face down but appeared to be breathing, and thankfully they didn't look too badly hurt. It looked like a boy judging by his clothes and shape, with short, shaggy dark hair.

"Whoa! Now I like the boat," Ruffnut said excitedly, it wasn't every day a person washed up on their shores.

"Remember, I get to keep him!" Snotlout stated, clearly seeing this as an opportunity to finally get that servant he'd always wanted.

But Arvid was having none of it, "Snotlout that's a person! Not a slave."

Hicca ignored them and inched closer to the washed up newcomer, checking to see if they were alright. She shook their arm hoping to wake them up, "Hey. Hey there."

As the person woke, Hicca scurried back to give them some space. He slowly raised his head and shook away some of the grogginess, but when his eyesight cleared and he saw the other teens, he lurched back and raised his arms in defence.

Hicca raised her hands to show they were unarmed, "It's okay. We're friends."

The boy studied them warily, he looked to be about their age. As he slowly lowered his arms, his body jerked as a sudden cough forced its way out. "D-Do you have any water?" He asked, his voice croaky and quiet.

Snotlout, Ruffnut and Fishlegs all shot forward presenting their water flasks. But while Fishlegs was just trying to be nice, Ruffnut gave a flirty look, and Snotlout had a cocky grin, clearly trying to act like some kind of hero.

The boy inched his hand forward a carefully took the flask that Snotlout offered, taking a few much need mouthfuls before handing it back. "Thank you," he said, his voice still quiet, but already sounding better. "Where am I?"

"This is Berk," Hicca answered. She was about to help the boy out when Toothless suddenly pushed by, clearly curious as to what was taking so long. The boy gave a gasp and pushed himself further against the walls of the boat.

Hicca reached round and pushed back on Toothless's snout, pulling him aware from the boy. "D-Don't be afraid! He won't hurt you." She moved back and gave him enough room to leave the upturned boat. "Come out, it's okay," she said in a gentle tone.

The boy crept forward and stuck his head out of the ship wreck, watching with wide eyes as Hicca gestured for Toothless to move back. "H-How did you do that," the boy asked as he finally got to his feet. Now that he was out of the boat and standing up straight, the others could see that he was about the same height and build as Arvid, maybe a little less muscular, with green eyes and shoulder length, shaggy black hair.

"That? That was nothing." Snotlout slid closer to the boy, taking the opportunity to show off to a newcomer, the cocky grin still on his face. "Watch this." Snotlout turned to his dragon. "Hookfang, get your butt over here!"

The Nightmare jolted awake at the sound of his voice, but instead of moving towards his rider, he took off and flew in the opposite direction. Snotlout gave a nervous laugh, "He'll be back. Oh! And just so you know, I'm the one who rescued you."

Hicca just shook her head as Snotlout flexed his muscles at the newcomer, striking a heroic pose while the dark haired boy continued to look uncomfortable. She introduced herself as she stepped forward, "I'm Hicca."

"Heath," the boy stated with a polite nod.

"So, Heath... what happened to you?" Arvid asked stepping forward.

A worried look crossed Heath's face, "My family and I were on our way home to our island, when our boat was attacked by pirates."

"I wanna be a pirate!" Tuffnut suddenly piped up. The others turned to look at him, all throwing him a surprised look at the out of the blue comment. "Or a fish cleaner. I'm still on the fence."

Arvid rolled his eyes and turned back to Heath, "Anyway... You were saying?"

Heath gave a sad sigh "They attacked our boat and took us back to our island, laying siege to it." His voice became quieter then as he turned away from the teens, the memories still clearly vivid in his head. "I was able to escape, but my mother and father... they weren't so lucky."

The others looked at one another with the same look, all quite for a moment. Hicca stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on Heath's shoulder, "Hey, everything's going to be okay. My dad's the Chief, we'll figure something out."

Heath looked down at her and gave a thankful smile. Hicca smiled back and lead him towards the dragons, they needed to head back to the village soon. But as the other teens followed, Arvid held back. He didn't know quite what to think of the newcomer, he just seemed... a little off for someone who had just had their home taken by pirates. He turned and looked at the upturned boat, examine it closer. Strangely enough, it didn't seem that banged up, still mostly in tacked with only the sail broken off.

But then again, maybe he was thinking about it a little too much. He shook the thought out of his head and ran to catch up to the others. Mounting Stormfly just as Hicca was helping Heath get onto Toothless's saddle, trying not to let show how much it bothered him that Heath was sitting so close to his girlfriend.

Instead, he threw his usual cocky grin towards Hicca, "Hey, don't we're meeting tomorrow to work on our times. Unless you want Stormfly to be the fastest one in the Book of Dragons."

Hicca gave a small laugh, "Yeah, that's definitely not gonna happen. We'll be there"

Stormfly took off, and Hicca gave Heath a quick warning before Toothless leapt into the air after her. Heath gave a yelp and wrapped his arms around Hicca's middle, but thankfully Toothless wasn't going too fast.

However, unbeknownst to the other riders, they were actually forgetting someone.

"Uh, can I get a ride from someone?" Snotlout pleaded after them.

/LINE BREAK/

When they arrived back at the village, Hicca found her father in the main plaza. After telling him what had happened and introducing him to Heath. Stoick allowed the boy to stay in the village, at least for tonight, then they could figure out what to do tomorrow.

The only question now was... Where was Heath supposed to sleep?

There were many houses on Berk, but most of them not only had to occupy the residence of Berk, but also their dragons, sometimes two per household. Staying with one of the other teens was a good idea, but out of the five homes, there was only one house with enough space. That and Hicca didn't mind giving up her bed.

"Alright, just this way. Watch your step. And here we are." Hicca spread her arms as she gestured to her room. Toothless bounded up the stairs behind her and sat on his stone bed.

Heath reached the top of the stairs and looked around the large space, "It was nice of your father to let me stay here."

"Well, until we can find you a safe place to go, consider Berk your hope," Hicca said with a smile.

Just then, Heath's eyes landed on Hicca's desk. Drawings strewn across it, and some designs pinned to the wall. "Wow, what are these? They're really cool," Heath stated as he moved closer and looked over the designs.

Hicca followed and looked over her own drawings, they still looked very rough to her. "They're new saddles designs for Toothless. We're trying to get some extra speed so we can stay on top of Arvid and Stormfly." She turned to Heath with a chuckle, "Arvid's very competitive."

Heath also laughed, but then things turned quiet.

Hicca just watched Heath for a moment. It was nice to talk to someone who was actually interested in her designs for once. Arvid did try to act interested about her creations, but often her inventions and the mechanics behind them were a bit over his head. Hicca gave him credit for trying, but it was easy to tell that he often grew bored when she was talking. Heath didn't look bored at all, he was genuinely interested.

The dark haired male soon realised that the girl's eyes were on him, and turned to face her with a warm smile. Hicca couldn't stop the blush that suddenly ran across her cheeks. She quickly took a step back towards the stairs, "O-Okay, so, uh, do you need anything? Something to drink, or eat?"

Heath gave a soft chuckle at her flushed face, "No, but thank you, Hicca. I'm really tired, it's been a long day."

Hicca kept walking backwards until she was near the entrance to her room, "Right! Okay, uh, come on, Toothless. We're sleeping downstairs tonight." The dragon gave a grumble but got up from his bed and followed her.

Heath's face suddenly had a look of surprise, "Wait, you're sleeping downstairs?"

Hicca nodded, "Yeah, with the fire going we'll be nice and warm."

"W-Wait!" Heath let out a yelp. "I can't let you do that! A man should never kick a woman out of her own bed."

Hicca let out another chuckle, "It's fine. Like you said, you've had a long day, you deserve a good night's sleep at least." She turned before Heath could protest and started making her way downstairs.

"Hey, Hicca?"

Hicca turned back to him, "Yes?"

Heath smiled down at her, "Thanks."

She returned the smile, "Sleep well, Heath."

/LINE BREAK/

Meanwhile, at the Hofferson household, Arvid stepped out of his house and round to Stormfly's stable. In his arms, he carried a large basket of roast chicken. His secret food item to increase Stormfly's speed. "That's it, girl. Finish up your chicken. By the time Hicca figures out this is what's giving you all that energy, she'll be eating our dust!"

Arvid stroked the Nadder's jaw as she ate, when suddenly her head jerked upwards and her spines twitched.

"What is it girl?" Arvid followed the dragon's line of sight towards the other side of the plaza where a line of houses stood. He wasn't sure, but for a moment, he though he saw something moving in the shadows.

"You stay here," He told Stormfly in a hushed tone. The dragon just squawked and when back to her meal.

Arvid peaked around the buildings, looking for anything that seemed out of place. So far nothing seemed moved, and there wasn't a trace that anyone was hiding around, but Arvid still could shake the uneasy feeling.

Suddenly he heard a clatter to his right. He quickly turned to see a figure rushing out from between the houses. "Hey!" Arvid called out and gave chase.

He frowned and stopped running as the figure left the shadow, leaving the village and running up the hill towards the chief's house. In the light of the moon, Arvid finally got a good look at the person he'd been chasing. Tall, slim build, with shoulder length, shaggy black hair.

"Heath?"

Arvid watched as the outsider climbed the wall of the house and clambered into the upstairs window. Arvid's features hardened. Why is Heath running around the village at night? And why is he sneaking back into the Haddock house... through Hicca's bedroom window?

Arvid could stop his fists from shaking. Was Heath sleeping in Hicca's room? Was Hicca also sleeping in her room? Were the two... sleeping... together!?

Arvid shook his head harshly. He couldn't think about that, he wouldn't allow himself to think about that. He couldn't do anything tonight, but he would not simply forget about this.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, just after sun rise, Hicca was up and already busy working. Her long hair tied back and apron tied tightly around her waist. She held a still warm metal rod with a pair of tongs in her left hand, and hammered it into shape against the anvil. She wanted to be able to finish before she and the other teens raced again today.

"You're up early."

Hicca turned at the sound of the male voice. To be honest, a small part of Hicca had wanted to see Arvid standing by the entrance, that same part was a little disappointed to see Heath instead. Hicca gave a smile, "Yeah. Just wanted to get the jump on this."

Heath looked and the rod Hicca had been hammering, then turned to the mounted saddle near the entrance. Thinking back to the designs in the girl's room, a thought suddenly occurred to him. "You know, with a shorter connecting rod, it'll push you back in the saddle and make you more streamlined."

As the words swirled through her head, a large smile spread on face. She turned back to the fire pit and pulled out one of the other rods she'd been working on. "Which will increase our speed! Yeah! You hear that, bud? Stormfly's gonna be seeing a lot more of your tail."

Heath walking into the forge and "So. When can we test it out?"

"How about right now?" Hicca asked excitedly.

/LINE BREAK/

It was already midday, and Arvid was still waiting for Hicca.

They were supposed to meet up hours ago, but she was nowhere to be seen. He sat atop of Stormfly as she stood on top of one of the sea stacks, pushing his hair out of his eye and looking up at the clear sky, hoping to finally catch a glimpse of that familiar dark dragon shape.

But when he finally did, he only frowned more.

Toothless dived, looped and zoomed through the air, no doubt being flown by Hicca, no one else could help Toothless perform those tricks. But what really bothered him, was hearing Heath's shouts of excitement coming from behind Hicca. So, Hicca was late, because she wanted to show off to Heath.

"You have got to be kidding me," Arvid grumbled. He nudged Stormfly's side and directed her into the air, following Toothless as they finally headed towards the academy.

When Arvid landed, he grew even more annoyed that Hicca still wasn't there. Instead of actually landing in the academy to train with the other teens, she was still flying around with Heath.

"Are we training or not?" Snotlout asked in an annoyed tone. It seemed that Arvid wasn't the only one annoyed at Hicca's tardiness.

Fishlegs turned to Arvid with a slight frown. "Hey, where is Hicca?"

Arvid didn't turn to face him, and instead just kept glaring upwards. "Giving a private lesson," he could practically feel himself seething.

But apparently Arvid's annoyance was lost on Fishlegs, as the large blond started babbling excitedly. "I didn't know she gave private lessons! Can anyone get in on that?"

"Apparently, just him," Arvid muttered through gritted teeth.

Strangely enough, it was Tuffnut who first put two and two together. "Uh-oh! Look like there's another rooster in the hen house." He smirked at Arvid as the axe wielding male turned to glare at him.

"Yeah, another hen in the rooster house..." Ruffnut mutter from her half-asleep position. The female twin frowned suddenly and turned to Arvid, "Wait, what?"

"Nothing," Arvid said firmly. "He thinks I'm jealous, which is completely ridiculous." Jealous? Absolutely not... Protective? Maybe a little. Suspicious? Definitely.

"Right, right," Ruffnut gave a smirk. But then her confused look took over once more. "Wait. Of who? Me? Wait, am I the rooster... or the hen?"

Arvid gave another annoyed sigh, "Trust me, the last thing I am is jealous." He gave the others a firm look, warning all of them not to say anymore about it.

Finally, Hicca decided to make her entrance. Flying in on Toothless, then quickly dismounting and walking towards the others, soon followed by Heath.

"Morning class! How's everyone doing today?" Her smile as bright as ever, like everything was right with the world.

Arvid folded his arms across his chest, "Oh! Nice of you to show up." He frowned at her in silence for a long while, until Hicca finally remembered.

"Oh! We were supposed to meet up," Hicca slapped her hand over her face. "I'm so sorry," It honestly hadn't been intentional, Hicca had just been having so much fun flying with Heath.

Snotlout snickered as he watched the scene unfold, it was fun to watch his cousin squirm. "Awkward," He whispered to the twins.

Finally the pieces seemed to snap together in Ruffnut's head, "Oh, so Arvid's jealous of the new hot guy, right? Why were you talking about hens and roosters?"

Arvid ignored them, keeping his gaze fixed on Heath, "So, Heath? Sleep well?"

"Very well. Thank you, Arvid." Heath answered politely with an innocent smile, but it just made Arvid fume more.

It's like the dark haired male was doing it deliberately to get under his skin, lying to him and being all cosy around Hicca, the idea that he'd actually slept in Hicca's bed last night was still making his head spin.

Eventually, Arvid's fierce glare grew too much for Heath, and he decided to change the subject. "So... This is it? Your Dragon Training Academy?" He asked moving closer to Hicca and the other teens.

"No, Our Dragon Training Academy." Ruffnut corrected as she gave a flirty smile, "Remember, I'm the one who called you Hot."

She winked at Heath, causing her brother to take a step back. This was too weird, even for him.

Hicca ignored the other female, "We've been training dragons to become part of our everyday lives."

"And it all goes right in here," Fishlegs added as he presented the Book of Dragons.

Heath's eyes widened al his gaze fell onto the book, "Really? Everything?"

Fishlegs nodded with a proud smile, "Yep. I'm kind of the Log Keeper. Log Master, really."

"He writes down what Hicca tells him to," Snotlout corrected.

"I give it my own spin, thank you."

Hicca looked back and forth between the two males with a frown. Seriously, was everyone apart from Arvid trying to show off to the new comer?

Thankfully, Heath didn't seem to notice, his focus still on the Book of Dragons. "Can I see it?" He asked Fishlegs.

But just as Fishlegs nodded and was about to hand over the book, Arvid snatched it from his grasp. "I'll take that, thank you." He then turned and grabbed Hicca's arm, pulling her in front of him and began shoving her toward the entrance of the Academy. "Excuse us."

While the other teens were left wondering what just happened, Arvid stood in front of Hicca and fixed her with a firm look. "Hicca, I don't think we should be showing him all our dragon secrets."

"Arvid, it's fine." Hicca tried to reassure him with a warm smile.

But Arvid shook his head, "I don't trust him. You shouldn't either."

It wasn't just his tone that made Hicca's smile drop, it was also the way his words sounded like an order. She frowned at him, he was just being over protective, and it was starting to get ridiculous. "Well, I do. And you should trust me."

Hicca turned on her heal and walked back towards the other teens, leaving Arvid standing by the entrance. Even though it was only a few steps, it felt like the start of a large wall between the two of them.

/LINE BREAK/

As the day rolled on, it seemed like Heath was making friends with all the other teens in the academy. All except for Arvid of course, who was keeping his distance.

He asked Fishlegs loads of questions about the dragons, in particular the Gronckles, and listened intently as Fishlegs gushed about how strong, loyal and loving Meatlug was. He'd then messed around with Tuffnut and helped him destroy random ships in the harbour, all the while not freaking out too much at Ruffnut's obvious flirting. He'd even gone so far as to hang out with Snotlout, stroking his ego as the shorter teen went on and one about how great he and Hookfang were.

Hicca was really happy that Heath was getting along so well with everyone, maybe he could actually stay on Berk and join the academy. Maybe after a while, Arvid would finally trust him. Hicca frowned as she kept working on Toothless's tail fin. They were lounging on the grass just outside her house, Toothless relaxing in the sun whilst Hicca made the adjustments to improve his speed. She was really starting to worry about Arvid, he just wasn't acting like himself. Hopefully she could properly talk to him about it soon.

Unbeknownst to her, just inside the house and up the stairs, Heath was snooping around again. He had seen Hicca take the book of dragons from Fishlegs after they were done at the academy, so it must be in her room somewhere. He looked in her satchel, her wardrobe, before finally finding the thick tomb under her bed.

"Gotcha," he said to himself. He pulled out the book and ran his fingers over the cover, making sure no one was coming up the stairs, before leafing through the pages. "The Book of Dragons. Monstrous Nightmare... Gronckle..." He kept flicking through the pages, looking for something specific. "Here we go. The Deadly Nadder. Piercing spines, loyal, powerful-"

"Intelligent, and of course, deadly." Heath whirled round with a gasp, only to find Arvid standing over him. "What do you think you're doing!?"

Seriously? Was this guy ever going to give him a break? Arvid snatched the book away from Heath, checking it over before closing it carefully. Heath took a deep breath and slowly stood, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

The two didn't say anything to each other, they just stood there glaring at each other. Both of them ready for whatever was to come, weather that be another talk, or a full blown fight.

Thankfully, Hicca came up the stairs before things developed further. She had come up stairs to grab one of her designs, and had instead stumbled across the two males in her room. "What's going on?" she asked them, all the while a feeling deep in her gut told her that this wasn't going to end well.

Arvid handed her the Book of Dragons, keeping his eyes on Heath. "Well? Are you going to say something?" He asked the dark haired male with his arms crossed over his chest.

Heath gave a sign and turned to Hicca, "I am so, so sorry, Hicca." He looked down as his hands fiddled with his sleeves, "I was cleaning up your room and I found the book. I couldn't help myself."

Arvid glared as Heath gave another innocent smile with those sad eyes, no way was Hicca going to fall for-

"It's okay, Heath."

While Hicca returned the smile, Arvid turned to her in surprise. "It's okay? What do you mean 'okay'?" He asked fiercely, how could she be so forgiving when another male had been snooping around through her things? Did she really not care?

"Arvid, come on. Lighten up," Hicca tried to calm him down, but it actually had the opposite effect.

"Me!? He's the one sneaking around!"

"Sneaking around? W-What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about last night. Near my house."

Again, Arvid's glares seemed to have no affection Heath. "That was me," He admitted. "I couldn't sleep so... I went for a walk. I was having terrible nightmares."

Hicca nodded in understanding, "I can imagine."

Arvid was so close to punching Heath at that moment, how many times was this guy going to take advantage to Hicca's caring nature? What's more, was Hicca really siding with Heath more than him? Didn't she trust him?

"Is this really happening?" Arvid asked in disbelief.

"Okay. Arvid, that's enough," Hicca stated firmly.

She really was taking Heath's side over him, and Arvid had had enough.

"You're right, Hicca. It is."

Hicca was left standing there as Arvid turned and walked away. The wall she had felt forming between them at the academy, had now fully formed into a barrier. Hicca was pulled from her thoughts when she heard shuffling to the side. She'd honestly forgotten Heath was still here, and by the looks of it, he was starting to feel a little awkward.

"I-I'm sorry about this," Hicca said as she turned back to him.

But Heath shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. I was wrong to look at your book."

Hicca gave the best smile she could manage, "It's no big deal. I trust you," The strange thing was, it was true. Hicca did trust Heath. She wasn't sure why, but while Arvid was being paranoid, it was nice to have someone clam to talk to.

Hicca turned and knelt down, sliding the book back under her bed before heading back down stairs. She didn't catch Heath's sly look.

/LINE BREAK/

Under the cover of night, Heath snuck out again. Climbing out of Hicca's bedroom window and allowing himself to drop onto the soft ground.

He now knew where he was going and took off in the direction of the Hofferson household. Running around the outside until he reached the stables where Stormfly lay, cooing softly in her sleep. Heath though over what he'd read in the book, he'd only glanced at it, but he still remembered parts of it.

Stormfly seemed to sense his presence and groggily opened her eyes, but once she spotted the stranger, her eyes snapped open fully. Standing and spreading her wings out, she gave a squawk and pointed her tail forward, allowing the sharp spines to spring forward.

"Spines. Just like the book said," Heath noted as he ducked to the side. "Stay in the blind spot," he told himself as Stormfly tilted her head back and forth, trying to see past her large jaw. Heath reached into the satchel he'd taken from Hicca's room, and quickly pulled out the leg of roast chicken he'd snagged from the Great Hall.

Stormfly visibly relaxed as the familiar smell drifted into her nostrils. "I hear you like this," Heath commented with a smirk. The Nadder pulled her spiked tail away and sniffed the chicken leg again, suddenly snatching it from Heath's hand. As the dragon ate happily, Heath raised a hand to stroke her snout.

But before his hand made contact with the scaly skin, he was forced to pull it away at the sound of a very annoyed voice.

"What are you doing with my dragon!?"

Heath whirled round to see Arvid standing behind him. In any other circumstance, he would have played innocent, but in front of Arvid, it had little to no affect. So Heath didn't bother. "Huh, you really like to sneak up on people," Heath said with an annoyed look.

"Only the ones who deserve it, and don't give me you innocent routine." Arvid stomped towards Heath and made it clear he wasn't joking around.

Heath gave a smile, "I wouldn't think of it. You're way too smart for that, Arvid." His smile turned into a smirk as Stormfly nudged him from behind, most likely hoping for another chicken leg. Heath stocked her scaly nose, causing her to coo happily. "I think your dragon likes me... almost as much as Hicca dose."

With that, Heath turned and left. Leaving Arvid frozen with anger.

That bastard. Arvid would definitely make him pay for that. But he had to make Hicca believe him first, if he didn't then she would just take Heath's side again. Once he showed Hicca the truth, he would definitely give Heath the punch to the face he deserved.

Before Arvid could lash out at Stormfly or scream in anger, he stormed into the house and grabbed his axe. He was going into the forest to let off some steam.

He hurled the axe at random trees, each time imagining it was Heath's face. "'I think your dragon likes me'," He mimicked the other male in an unflattering tone. He couldn't stand Heath, he wasn't just messing Hicca around, but also every other dragon rider on the island. Arvid gripped the handle of his axe tightly, "No one messes with me, or my friends."

Arvid was about to throw his axe again when a snapping twig caught his attention. Instinct taking over, he quickly knelt down and hide behind a tree, just in time to see Heath run past him. So he snuck out again, time to see where he was going. Arvid ducked behind the trees and bushes as he followed Heath closely.

After a little while, Heath ran out onto the beach, leaving Arvid to duck behind a rocky outcrop at the edge of the forest. Arvid wasn't sure what to expect when the sneaky male ran out onto the beach, but as he watched, Heath simply sat down and drew his knees up to his chest, looking out at the ocean.

Arvid frowned as he watch, his mind slowly ticking away. Maybe Heath really wasn't up to anything.

He thought back over the last few days, and to be honest, Heath hadn't really done anything wrong. Sure he'd been a little snarky before, but maybe Arvid had it coming. He'd yelled at Heath when he found him reading the book, and had gotten really annoyed when he started spending all of his time around Hicca. But really, Arvid hadn't really caught him doing anything wrong, apart from reading the book, but Heath had apologized and explained himself for that.

Arvid gave a sigh as he thought to himself, maybe he really was paranoid of the new comer. All because he was jealous that he was seeing less and less of Hicca.

"This was stupid," Arvid muttered to himself. He turned to head back to the village, he would apologise to Hicca tomorrow.

But in the blackness of the open water, something caught his eye. A shape moving through the water towards the shore, as it came closer, Arvid squinted as he tried to make out the markings on the side of the boat, spiked shields lined the outside with dark markings scrawled along them.

The blonde's eyes widened, "That's and outcast ship!" He remembered it from when they had invaded their island, was Alvin back already?

At the ship hit the shore, Arvid could make out three figures in the boat. Two were pulling on the heavy oars, while another stood just behind them, clearly in charge, but too thin to be Alvin. The figure, jumped out of the ship and onto the sands, stalking closer to Heath as the dark haired boy stood. Once he was close enough, Arvid was finally able to recognise him as Savage, Alvin's right-hand man.

"What have you learned about the dragons?" The outcast asked.

"I've learned a lot," Heath said quickly, he seemed a little nervous. "But there's something else, something that's going to make Alvin very happy."

Savage raised an eyebrow, "I'm listening."

"They have a book. A Book of Dragons. It's got everything in it, everything Alvin could hope to learn about controlling dragons."

Savage looked Heath up and down, a little sceptical at his claim. "Where is this book?"

Heath looked down at his feet, "I don't have it. But I will. I promise. I just... I just need a little more time."

"Alvin isn't known for his patience," Savage glared down at him. "He won't be happy at having to wait."

Heath took a step back and held his hands up in defence, "Please. You have to trust me! When I get back to Outcast Island with the book, the wait will be worth it."

Arvid shifted in his hiding place to try and hear them better, but in doing so, he nudged a small group of stones. The small rocks tumbled over the side and smacked against the larger stones below, before the clatter could alert Savage and Heath, Arvid quickly ducked behind a tree.

Heath's head whirled round at the sound, but thankfully he didn't see the blond. He frowned and turned back to Savage, "I better go."

Savage nodded and made his way back to the boat, ordering the men to start rowing back to Outcast Island so he could report back to Alvin. Heath took off into a run along the beach, darting back into the forest. While Arvid took a second to make sure no one had spotted him, and then ran back to the village.

Specifically, Hicca's house.

Arvid threw the front door of the Haddock house open, immediately spotting Hicca on the floor near the dying hearth. Well at least Arvid could put his fears to rest, Hicca and Heath hadn't been sleeping in the same bed all this time.

Toothless perked up at the sound, but soon settled once he realised it was Arvid. Hicca on the other hand didn't wake, so Arvid marched over and nudged her shoulder with his foot harshly. "Wake up!"

The auburn haired girl jolted away, holding her shoulder as she turned to glare at Arvid. "Ow! What!? Why would you do that? What are you doing?"

"Saving our butts!" Arvid answered quickly. "I just saw Heath talking to Savage. He's working with the Outcasts!"

Hicca gave Arvid an annoyed look as she tied back her hair, "What? He's upstairs, sleeping."

Arvid crossed his arms with a defiant look, "Oh, yeah? Let's go find out."

The shorter girl rolled her eyes before leading Arvid to the stairs.

Upstairs, Heath had only just clambered in through the open window, almost panicking when he heard the sound of feet coming up the stairs. He quickly slid under the covers, rolled away from the door, pulling the covers up to his chin and shut his eyes tightly, managing to pretend to rest for a few seconds before the thumping stopped at the entrance to the bedroom.

He slowly rolled over and opened his eyes, pretending to yawn as he sat up. "Hey, guys. Is everything okay?"

Arvid was livid as Heath plastered a smile on his face, he really was going to kill him when all this was over, he was making Arvid look like a fool.

Hicca gave a tired sigh for behind the blond, "Everything's fine Heath, sorry to wake you."

The dark haired boy shrugged before rolling over and pretending to go back to sleep, while Hicca gripped the other males arm tightly and pulled him back down the stairs and out of the house, she had had enough of this.

"Arvid, don't you think it's possible you saw someone else? I mean it is pretty dark out here."

Arvid grumbled and stomped stomping down the stone steps, turning to face her. "I know what I saw. That guy is not who you think he is!"

"So, who is he then?" Hicca asked with a frown.

"I-I don't know... Nobody knows! He just mysteriously washed up on our beach. You don't find that strange?"Arvid stumbled over his words, trying to get Hicca to believe him.

But Hicca couldn't, there was just no proof to support Arvid's stories. "No, because his ship was taken over by pirates and his whole island is under siege."

Arvid gave an annoyed groan, "The only thing 'under siege' is you brain! You're not thinking clearly."

"Oh really? Me?"

"Hicca, the Outcasts could be attacking any minute!"

Both of them had started to raise their voices, but Hicca took a deep breath before speaking. "Arvid, if there's one thing I know, it's this: Heath... is _not_ working for the Outcasts."

With that, Hicca turned and walked back into her home. Leaving Arvid outside to grumble and groan to himself before also heading home. Hicca leaned heavily against the door and listened as the blonde's heavy footsteps began to grow faint. She gave another sigh and slumped against the door, sliding down to the floor.

Toothless gave a quiet gurgle and stepped close to make sure she was alright, but honestly... she just wanted this to be over with.

/LINE BREAK/

Unbeknownst to Hicca and everyone else on Berk, Alvin had been trying to train Dragons ever since he saw Hicca and the other teens riding dragons.

But so far, it wasn't going well.

In the killing ring on Outcast island, a Nightmare burst into flames and spat magma at anyone who came near, the Vikings tried to avoid the pools of fire as they ran around, pulling on the ropes that were bound around the dragons neck and body. The dragon thrashed around, but the poor beast had already reached its shot limit, now it was just flailing against the strong ropes.

Alvin watched from the viewing stands, crushing a tiny spark between his fingers. "Interesting... There's really no rhyme or reason to that thing, is there? Just catches fire at will?"

Savage stood next to him, having returned to their island a little while ago. "That's why we need the book! Heath said that everything the Hooligan girl knows is documented in its pages. If we have it, we can control any dragon."

Savage gave a grin, hoping the news would please the Outcast leader. But Alvin just turned to him with a glare, "Then why aren't I holding this book in me hand?"

"Y-You will be," Savage assured him as he shrank back slightly.

Alvin turned back to the kill ring, "Good. Because your life depends on it." With that, he turned and left, leaving Savage standing there.

"I hate it when he says that," he muttered to himself, barely missing another shot from the Monstrous Nightmare.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning on Berk, Hicca awoke to work on the book some more. But it wasn't on the table where she'd left it.

"Hey, Dad, have you seen the book?"

Stoick looked up from where he was packing away some supplies, "You'll have to be more specific."

"The Book of Dragons. I can't find it anywhere."

Almost as soon as Hicca finished speaking, the front door burst open. Arvid stormed in looking livid, then again, that look was becoming more and more common as of late.

"She's gone!"

"Who's gone?" Hicca asked.

"Stormfly! 'Little Mr Innocent' stole my dragon!" Arvid roared.

Hicca's eyes widened as she glanced up the stairs to her room. Heath hadn't been in bed this morning, but she'd just assumed he'd woken early and gone out.

But now Heath, the book, and Stormfly were all gone together. That really wasn't good.

Hicca frowned to herself as she thought about everything that had happened. All the times Heath had been caught by Arvid, but the newcomer had come up with a perfectly reasonable explanation every single time. And Hicca had fallen for every one of them.

How could she have been so stupid? She'd thought Arvid was just being silly, and maybe it had started as paranoia. But she should have known something was amiss, especially when his accusations started to involve the Outcasts. Arvid wouldn't have lied about something like that.

But before Hicca could open her mouth to try and apologise, Arvid held his hand up to stop her. "We need to assemble the other, now."

The blonde ran out of the house, while Hicca whistled at Toothless to follow them.

After a little while, the teens gathered on the cliffs near the academy. Hicca quickly explained the situation, and the teens got to work preparing their dragons.

"Oh, this is bad. This is bad, this is bad, this is bad! This is catastrophic!" Fishlegs was shaking terribly as he tried to attach Meatlug's saddle bags. "I-If Alvin gets that book-"

"He won't," Hicca spoke up, trying to stop the larger blonde before he worked himself into even more of a panic.

She turned back to Toothless, trying to focus on making sure his saddle was tight enough, but her mind was elsewhere. "How could I not have seen it?" She asked herself aloud.

Tuffnut chuckled from on top of Belch's head, "Because our brain was 'under siege'."

Hicca threw him a tired frown, "Do you even know what that means?"

"Yes... No... It's not good, right?"

"No, it's not good," Arvid answered with another glare towards Hicca. He stepped closer and climbed onto Toothless's saddle.

Hicca winced at the sharp tone, "Arvid, I-"

But he cut her off again, "Save it! You can apologize when you get me my dragon back."

Hicca nodded, "Alright, let's go." She climbed on in front of Arvid and clicked her foot into place, "We can't let him reach Outcast Island."

They all took off, and started flying north towards Outcast Island.

/LINE BREAK/

It actually didn't take that long to fly to Outcast Island, but after an hour of Flying, Arvid was already starting to get worried.

"We're never gonna catch them! Stormfly is too fast!" He told Hicca.

She turned to look at him, "When you're riding her, definitely. Not with a stranger."

As it turned out, Hicca was right. Heath was having enough trouble trying to get Stormfly to fly in a straight line, let alone fly at high speed.

Sure enough, Snotlout spotted a shape flying shakily up ahead of them. "What's that? Up ahead!"

Hicca squinted to see through the clouds, but soon the unmistakable Deadly Nadder form became clear. "It's Heath. And is he ever gonna be sorry he helped me with Toothless's speed."

Arvid looked at her in question, just before Hicca snapped her pedal back, pushing herself further back into the saddle. Toothless suddenly rocketed forward, forcing Arvid to hold onto Hicca tightly. Just as predicted, Hicca and Arvid were able to lie low to Toothless's saddle and reduce the wind resistance considerably.

The sudden whistling through the air alerted Heath, he turned and spotted the Nigh Fury catching up to him. Heath and Arvid caught each other's eye and glared at each other through the wind and clouds.

"I'll get you in close," Hicca called as she directed Toothless fly alongside Stormfly. But Heath was ready. He reached into Stormfly's saddle bag and pulled out another leg of cooked chicken. Quickly passing it down for Stormfly to snatch into her beak. "I-Is that chicken? That's what you've been-?"

Arvid groaned and cut her off once more, "Really? You want to talk about that now!?"

Stormfly shot forward, quickly followed by Toothless. The Nadder climbed higher before diving down again, trying to shake the Night Fury off her tail, but Toothless was managing to keep up. Arvid kept his eyes in Heath, waiting for the opportunity to jump, he was getting his dragon back on way or another.

"I'm going to fly above her!" Hicca called.

They flew upwards and located Heath below them as they levelled out. Hicca directed Toothless to dive down until they were right on top of her. Arvid carefully began to stand on Toothless's saddle, placing a hand on Hicca's shoulder to steady himself.

"Okay, hold him steady!" Arvid judged his distance one last time, then he jumped.

He fell through the air and directed himself towards Stormfly, just as Hicca had taught him to many times. He landed on the Nadders saddle with a thud, greatly surprising Heath. "Going somewhere?"

Heath's spun round to glare at Arvid, he wasn't about to let them catch him, not when he was so close. He elbowed the blond in the stomach and shoved him backwards. Arvid rolled along Stormfly's body, almost falling right off the dragon. But thankfully he grabbed onto Stormfly's tail, holding tightly whilst being careful of the razor sharp spines.

"Stormfly! Tail flip!" He roared over the rushing wind.

The dragon did as she was commanded and whipped her tail upwards, sending Arvid flying up and back into the saddle. He grabbed Heath and tried to pull him off, but the dark haired male held on tightly, all the while trying to shake the other off the dragon.

Hicca watched with worry, keeping a close eye on the blond, and ready to make a move if she was needed.

"Uh, Hicca?" Fishlegs worried voice caught her attention. "I really hate to be the voice of doom, but we just crossed into Outcast waters!"

Hicca quickly looked down at the water below them, only to see jagged rocks sticking out at the water, they definitely weren't over the ocean anymore. In front of them, a dark shape could just be seen through the fog, sharp mountains and dark sands. Any minute now they would be visible from the shoreline. "Hey, Arvid! You might want to move this along!"

"Give me a minute!" Arvid yelled back. He had managed to turn Heath around to face him, still trying to pull him out of the saddle. But Heath was shoving him back, throwing punches at him every chance he got. "He's stronger than he looks!"

On the shores of Outcast Island, the Vikings had already spotted the incoming dragons, readying their catapults on the rocky shoreline. "Incoming! Fire!"

All at once, the dragons were forced to dodge and weave, as burning rocks were flung towards them. They had to get out of there, now.

"Arvid!" Hicca yelled again, but she couldn't do anything to help.

On Stormfly's back, Arvid had managed to wrestle himself into the saddle. But Heath had reversed their roles and now had his arm around the blond's throat, trying to choke the blond into submission. Arvid grabbed Heaths arms and ripped them away from him, "Don't you ever... touch my dragon... again!"

Arvid lurched backwards and shoved his whole body into Heath, finally throwing the dark haired male off of him. And right off of Stormfly as well.

Heath slid from the saddle and tried to grab onto Arvid or Stormfly, but he missed. The Book of Dragons that had been hidden under the saddle, also slipped out with him, both now falling through the air.

"I'll grab the traitor!" Snotlout yelled.

"And I'll grab the book!" Hicca yelled back.

The Nightmare and the Nightfury both dived towards the ocean, aiming for the respective targets.

Heath's screams came to a sudden halt as the Nightmare's claws closed around his mid section, he gasped at the sudden stop, and felt around the claw to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He gave a sigh of relief, but then froze again at the sound of Snotlout's voice, "Gotcha! I knew you wouldn't escape."

But while Snotlout had captured his prize, Hicca was still diving after hers. The book was smaller than Heath, and was falling much fast. Toothless had tucked his wings in as tight as possible, and Hicca reach forward as much as she could, desperate to catch up to the falling tome.

But just as the leather binding of the book brushed against Hicca's fingers, another flaming rock hurtled towards them. Hicca had no other choice but to pull back and steer Toothless out of the way, but she kept diving, still determined to catch the book. Unfortunately another rock flew past her, this one coming much closer to her. It grazed her arm and burnt a hole in her tunic, singeing the skin underneath, she let out a cry as she quickly gasped her upper arm.

Toothless heard Hicca's pained yelp and opened his wings wide, forcing them to slow their descent and retreat back to the others, he wasn't going to risk her getting hurt again.

The Outcasts cheered as they watched the dragons retreat. They counted this as a victory, and they were right to do so.

Hicca flew alongside the others, still clutching her wounded arm. "Please tell me you got it," Fishlegs pleaded in his panicked tone.

But Hicca was forced to shake her head, a worried silence passing over the group. "I was too late... Alvin has the Book of Dragons."

End of episode 10.

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 **Chapter 10 finally done :) There will most likely be another long pause, as I am starting my new internship, but I wouldn't leave you all hanging for too long :) Let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	11. Heath Report: Part II

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 11 is finally here, and we're moving again and finally finishing up this two part chapter :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 11**

 **Heath Report: Part II**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

 **Heather – Heath**

/

/

/

Through the forest of Berk, a lone figure was running as fast as he could.

The branches whipped past his face and his heart boomed in his ears, but still he kept running, trying to get to the beach.

The dark haired male almost stumbled as he skidded down a bank and broke through the tree line, finally making onto the sand covered shore. He took a second to catch his breath and pushed aside the branches, finally spotting a small rowing boat.

He was almost of the island, he just had to shove off and start rowing as hard as he could.

But before he could even take on step onto the rowboat, a burning flame shot out of the sky and ripped the boat apart. The blast forced the escaping figure back, landing heavily onto the sand.

"You can break out of jail as many times as you want!" A voice boomed from above. Heath rolled to look up at the blond male on top of his blue Deadly Nadder. "But you're not getting of this island."

The dragon swooped down and extended its talons. Heath tried to get back on his feet, but the dragon caught him in no time and lifted him into the air, dragging him back to the Village.

/LINE BREAK/

After everyone had found out what Heath had done, Stoick had ordered him to be put in a cell until they figured out what to do with him. The prison cells were located at the edge of the village near the great hall, the walls were twice as thick as the normal houses, with only one small window, and doors made from strong metal bars.

Stormfly dropped Heath when they were about to land, allowing Arvid to jump down and grab him before he could make another run for it. He shoved Heath back into the small building and threw him into the holding cell.

Heath tumbled to the ground and watched in defeat as Arvid slammed the door shut. "Just give up, Heath. We have dragons on our side" He stood outside the cell and crossed his arms, glaring down at the dark haired male. After everything Heath had done, Arvid had taken t upon himself to personally guard the traitor.

Heath could only give him a pleading look in return as he finally got to his feet. "Arvid, I have to get back to Outcast island."

"Yeah, I bet you do," The blond scoffed.

As Arvid turned to leave, Heath called after him desperately. "You don't understand! Alvin has my parents!"

"Oh yeah? What happened to the pirates?"

Heath groaned as Arvid brought up his previous lie, of course he wasn't going to believe him. "There were never any pirates, I made it up. I had to, I needed you to trust me."

Arvid stepped back in front of Heath's cell, giving only a cold glare in return. "Well guess what... We don't. Not anymore."

Heath reached out to try and stop Arvid again, but what else could he say. He had betrayed everyone. Hicca and the others had welcomed him in and made him feel so welcome, and he repaid them by using their kindness against them and stabbing them all in the back, especially Hicca. Arvid would never forgive him for taking advantage of his girlfriend kind and caring nature.

But Arvid could worry over Heath now, they had a much bigger problem to deal with.

Alvin and the Outcasts had the Book of Dragons, and was no doubt already using it to start training the beasts.

/LINE BREAK/

Unbeknown to Arvid and the others on Berk, he was only half right.

The book was definitely on Outcast island, but Alvin's men were having a slight problem getting to it.

After searching all day, Savage and a small group of men had the book in their sights, just on the outskirts of the island where it had landed.

"Uh... Is... Uh... Is that the book?" One of the men asked.

Savage gave a small nod, "Looks like."

But none of them made a move to retrieve it. Because standing in front of them, almost right on top of the Book of Dragons, was a large, orange, angry looking Gronckle. It glared at the Vikings, growling deeply with its small wings spread as wide as possible.

"How are we going to get to it?" Savage asked allowed.

The others thought for a moment. "Uh... If we had the Dragon Book, maybe it would tell us what to do."

Savage gave a tired look, "You mean... that book?" The gestured forward with his bone staff. How were they supposed to get the book, to tell them how to get the book?

"Ah... right..."

Savage groaned at the slow-minded Viking. He gave an annoyed sigh, "Look, the husky, smart kid on Berk rides on of these dragons. They're very gentle," Even though it had only been a short encounter, Savage had a very good memory.

He turned to one of the men with an expectant look. "So... Go take it from it!"

The Viking in question looked between Savage and the Gronckle, watching fearfully as the dragon opened its mouth in a rumbling yawn, showing off its large rock-munching teeth.

Savage gestured again. "What are you waiting for? It's just one little dragon. Go!"

The Viking gave another unsure look, but begrudgingly took a step forward. To be fair, the Viking at first seemed to be doing well at first. He spoke as gently as he could, and took slow steps towards the dragon, but then he reached down to take the book.

The Dragon advanced forward, stomping down onto the hard-cover book, it's maw inches away from the Vikings face. It growled again, letting out a hot blast of air, lava gathering around its large teeth.

Savage and the others watched as the Viking tried and failed to retrieve the book, wincing as he was set upon by the heavy-set dragon.

"Oh... Well that didn't work," Savage muttered with a shrug. "Who's next?"

However, the other two had learnt from their friends attempt and made no move forward. Left with no other choice, Savage gave a sigh and stepped forward himself.

/LINE BREAK/

Back on Berk, the teens met at the Academy to train.

In the centre of the ring, Fishlegs rode atop Meatlug and readied themselves. Snotlout was only really helping because he saw the opportunity to hurl rocks at the larger boy. He pulled back the catapult and aimed at the hovering, Boulder class dragon.

He let the rock go with a yell, and sent it flying into the air.

Thankfully, Meatlug spun around just in time and snatched the rock out of the air, munching down on it happily.

"Hey, that was a little close, Snotlout!" Fishlegs called down, clearly not prepared for the attack.

Snotlout just laughed, "Quite whining, Fishlegs!"

Fishlegs gave a glare and directed Meatlug forward. The bulbous dragon lurched forward and sent out a molten rock towards the dark-haired male, giving him barely enough time to dodge it.

Snotlout leapt from his seat with a yelp and just barely the attack. He brushed himself off and yelled at the larger blond, "Hey! Watch it!"

"Quit whining Snotlout," Fishlegs mimicked back with a chuckle.

Hicca and Toothless watched from the sidelines, the two males may not have gotten along, but in a way, they did train well together.

"Nice job guys. But remember, the Outcasts aren't going to be coming on at a time," She warned them.

"You don't need to remind me," Fishlegs said with a worried look. "We're under enough stress-"

But Hicca didn't seem to hear him and continued to call out, "Remember, we've only got one shot at getting the Book of Dragons back."

"Um... Did I not make myself clear about the stress?" Fishlegs called back as he called down again as he flew off.

Just as he flew off, the twins on their Zippleback slinked in. Green gas spewed from Barf's mouth, spreading out over the stone floor of the academy, soon followed by a spark from Belch. Thankfully, Hicca and Toothless were standing down-wind, so the flammable gas was moving away from them... and towards Snotlout and Hookfang.

The fire sparked at one end of the gas stream and quickly slithered towards the end. Snotlout turned just in time to see the flames rushing towards him. He gave a yelp and dived out of the way just in time, but Hookfang felt the full front of the blast.

"Too early, Snotlout we need to time it perfectly!" Arvid called as he and Stormfly landed, thinking it was part of his next training attack.

"It wasn't me, it was them!" Snotlout yelled back, pointing at the twins.

The twins gave a chuckle, their apologies not sounding sincere at all.

As Snotlout glared at the twins, Hookfang raged behind him. His body ablaze, but his anger had no real direction, he was thrashing about and roaring at anything and everything.

Arvid called down to Snotlout, "Can you calm him down?"

"Fine, whatever," The dark haired boy grumbled as he stomped forward. Hookfang roared again as Snotlout charged forward, thrashing his head to one side and allowing the male to get into position. He grabbed the Nightmare's horns and yanked them to the side, slamming Hookfang's head against the cold stone floor.

At first everyone thought the Nightmare was going to raise his head and lash out again. But instead, Hookfang gave a deep sigh, his fire sizzled away, his tongue lolled out, and his pupils returned to their calm oval shape.

All the other teens watched in amazement. Snotlout turned to them with a small smile, "Figured that one out yesterday. He likes it!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Fishlegs landed hesitantly. "He _likes_ having his horns bent to the ground?"

While Ruffnut took the opportunity to mess with her brother, Hicca and Arvid just watched Hookfang, he looked calm enough to fall asleep right there on the academy floor. Maybe the feeling of cool stone against his warm skin was what calmed him? Who knew? At least Hookfang had calmed down now.

"Can we get on with it? There could be a whole army coming at us!" Arvid's annoyed voice sounded.

Snotlout climbed onto his dragon's neck, "Well? We're waiting!" At the sound of his cocky tone, Stormfly and Arvid took off, hovering in the air. "Hit it!"

Hookfang lurched forward and spat out a stream of fire, the flames rising high from kerosene gel that spread across the academy floor.

"Spines, Stormfly!" Arvid ordered. He Nadder pointed her tail forward and shot out a series of spikes into the fire. When they came out the other side, they were on fire and leaving burning tails in their wake. They hit the wall and embedded themselves deeply into the stone, scorching the rock around them. Much to the twin's amusement when one spine struck Tuffnut's helmet, thank goodness it was made of strong metal.

"That's going to work great!" Hicca spoke up in excitement. Snotlout and Arvid really didn't get along at times, but their combined attack would prove to be very useful.

"You know, all this training is nice once we have the book. But Alvin's not just going to hand it over to us," Fishlegs pointed out to her.

"No..." Fishlegs and Hicca turned as Arvid dismounted behind them, "But maybe he'll hand it over to _Heath_."

Fishlegs and Hicca both turned towards him with a look of confusion, the larger blond whispered not too subtly to her, "Uh... I think Arvid's been eating Dragon Nip again."

He meant it as a joke, but Arvid heard it as an insult. He responded with a firm elbow to Fishlegs' side.

"Ow! Why is it always violence with you!?"

"It's not violence, it's communication," Arvid said with a smile.

As Fishlegs turned away to nurse his injured arm, Hicca spoke up. "So, you're suggesting we let Heath go?"

"Sort of."

"Yep, Dragon Nip," Fishlegs whispered again. Only to receive another punch to the stomach.

/LINE BREAK/

Finally on Outcast Island, Savage and the handful of remaining Vikings returned to the village. By the entrance to the Kill Ring, Alvin was waiting for them. But while Alvin mostly focused on the thick tome carried under Savage's arm, he also noticed a small orange glow coming from his second-in-command's helmet.

"What's that on your helmet?" The chief asked as he poked at the stuff, receiving a slight burn in return.

"Lava." Savage replied simply, opening up the book to a chapter on bulbous boulder-class dragons. "Gronckle chapter. You might want to read it."

With the book finally in his grasp, Alvin started flicking through the pages, muttering to himself as he read through some of the passages. "Hm... Well, this is all very interesting... I'll 'ave to see it to believe it." A thought suddenly occurred to Alvin, he turned to face Savage again, "Where's the boy?"

"He was captured after he made the drop," The Viking replied. He had been there and had seen Heath get snatch up in the Nightmare's claws.

Alvin just shrugged, "How unfortunate for 'im. But hey, let's give this a try, shall we?" He turned his attention back to the book. He didn't have time to focus on the boy now, they had dragon's to train.

/LINE BREAK/

At night, the teens put their plan into motion. They gathered on the beach in front of a small sail boat, similar to the one Heath had arrived on, only intact, and loaded it ready for the journey. Stoick would only have forbidden them from going through with the plan if they'd told him, so they hadn't. That fact alone was making Fishlegs nervous.

"Th-th-th-th-this is going to w-work, right?" Fishlegs asked in a stutter. "Cause if it doesn't, Alvin's going to know all of our dragon secrets. And if Alvin knows all of our dragon secrets..."

Hicca decided to cut him off before he worked himself into a panic. "Fishlegs! It'll work." Just then her ears perked up at the sound of more footsteps, she turned just in time to see a dark haired figure. "Oh, that must be-"

"Heath!"

"Get him!"

Before Hicca could warn them, the twins ran forward and tackled the figure to the ground. Each of them grabbing an arm as the male figure struggled under them.

"You must stay in your cell! How many times do we have to tell you-!?" Tuffnut was cut off as the person, whom they'd assumed to be Heath, punched him in the face, shoving the twins off.

"It's me, you muttonheads!" The dark haired male yelled, but in a voice that really didn't sound like Heath. It sounded like Arvid.

The others watched in surprise as Arvid stood and brushed himself off, he really did look like Heath. His usual blue tunic with spiked leather straps, had been replaced by a dark green one this long sleeves. His eyes were still bright blue, but his hair had been died black with coal, and his usual bangs tucked behind his ear. His leather head band was gone, and he'd made his hair look shaggier than normal. Even though Arvid was still a little more muscular that Heath, and their voices very different, it was almost perfect.

"Oh, sorry. Arvid. Totally unconvincing," Tuffnut said quickly.

"Oh, yeah, I could tell." Arvid huffed as walked up to the boat and clambered inside.

Hicca stepped closer, "Are you sure about this?"

Arvid gave a sigh and lent on the railing of the boat, "No, but it's our only chance."

"Okay. We'll be shadowing from the sky."

"I don't need shadowing," Arvid grumbled.

"Just in case. You know... it'll make _me_ feel better."

Arvid couldn't help but give a small smile, but quickly covered it with a look of annoyance. "Fine, just stay out of sight. If Alvin sees you, it'll all be over!"

"Don't worry about us. Just get the book and get out of there. We'll be waiting."

Arvid nodded and readied himself as Fishlegs pushed the boat out into open water. But Hicca called after him again.

"Hey, Arvid? Be safe..."

Arvid gave another smile as the ship sailed further away from Berk, and towards Outcast island.

/LINE BREAK/

But with Arvid leaving to go on a mission, he'd asked Bucket to watch Heath for him. With the night having just drawn in, the blond, bucket wearing man entered the prison cells to deliver food.

"Anyone in here hungry? We've got a lovely cabbage soup tonight." He called out, but no one answered. At first he didn't think it too strange, until he reached Heath's cell doors. He was gone, and the cell empty. "Aw, not again! Stoick's going to kill me!"

He quickly put down the soup and unlocked the doors, rushing inside to try and find how the boy had escaped. But there was no obvious opening in the stone walls, and the window was far too small.

Bucket's panicked thoughts were interrupted, when he was suddenly struck at the back of the head. Heath landed gracefully as Bucket collapsed onto the floor, the dark haired male quickly dragged him into the cell and slammed the door closed. He took a second to catch his breath as he looked into the cell, he did feel a little bad about harming the large man, he'd always been so kind. But if Bucket was delivering his meal instead of Arvid, then that must mean the blond dragon rider was gone, and maybe along with the other teens. Now might be his only chance to escape.

"Sorry, Bucket, but I have to get to Outcast Island. And nothing is going to stop me." With that, he turned and ran out into the village.

/LINE BREAK/

In the waters just beyond Outcast Island, Arvid looked over the map Hicca had given him. Underneath the large overhanging rocks, there should be a small beach he could land on, then he could hopefully make his way towards the village and find Alvin.

As he looked down at the map, a Terrible Terror suddenly swooped by him, it surprised him enough to drop the map and look around wildly. But once he realised it was only a small dragon, he took a breath to calm himself. He needed to stay alert from here on in, he was officially in enemy territory.

When he finally landed the boat, he scanned the area around him, looking out for any danger. When he didn't spot anything, he looked down at his map again, trying to find the most direct route to the village.

"We thought you'd been captured."

A gravelled voice forced a chill up Arvid's spine as she spun round. In front of her stood Savage, and amongst the rocky beach sprouted more Outcast Vikings. Arvid mentally kicked himself for not noticing them earlier.

"I was! But I got away." Arvid said quickly, trying to make his voice sound, quieter and slightly higher pitched. Savage took a step forward, but thankfully the dark lighting also hide the fact that his disguise wasn't exactly perfect.

"Well, it's good to see you safe and sound."

Savage paused, then he turned back to the others, "Get rid of him."

"What!?"

"We don't need you anymore," He turned away as the others started moving forward.

Arvid had to think quickly. "Savage, wait! You _do_ need me! I can prove it!" Thankfully Savage slowly looked back at him. "You have the book, right? I've watched them. I've learned from them. Trust me! That book is only worth something if you know how to use it."

Arvid grew quiet as Savage turned to face him. Normally, the Outcast would just ignore those who begged for their life. But if what the boy was saying was true... maybe there was still a need to keep him around.

/LINE BREAK/

It was just his luck that all the smaller boats on Berk were being guarded, Heath would have to try a different approach to escaping.

Thankfully, even though it seemed Arvid and the other riders were gone, Stormfly was still in her pen. Heath crept inside and stroked the dragon's neck, hoping to wake her from her sleep. But the Nadder woke with a start instead and flung its tail toward the unfamiliar human, shooting out spines towards them.

Thankfully, none of them actually hit Heath, one did however pin his sleeve to the stable wall. "Okay, never startle a sleeping Nadder," he muttered to himself.

He pulled his sleeve free and slowly made his way towards the dragon again. "Hey, it's me girl. Your old pal, Heath. You and I are going to go on a little trip." As Stormfly watch him, Heath raised his hands and carefully bent down to pick up the saddle near the wall. "I-I'm just going to put this saddle on you," he warned as he stepped closer, saddle tucked under his arm.

Stormfly seemed to calm down slightly and sniffed Heath curiously. "Sorry, girl. No chicken tonight." The dragon continued to watch warily, but made no move to stop the male as he attached the saddle securely. "See? No big deal. Okay. Good Girl! That wasn't so hard." Heath kept speaking gently as he climbed onto Stormfly and got himself settled in the saddle.

"Now. Let's go find Arvid," Heath patted Stormfly's neck. At the sound of her rider's name, Stormfly leapt forward. She rushed out of the stables and jumped, flapping her wings and taking off into the sky.

Heath clung tightly as he got back into the rhythm of flying on Stormfly's back, this was already going better than last time. He directed Stormfly forward, hoping to catch up with the others on Outcast Island.

/LINE BREAK/

Way in front of Heath, Hicca and the others were flying towards a smaller island to the west of Outcast Island. They couldn't fly directly towards Alvin and his men, or they'd be shot out of the sky again. But the island they were flying to instead, still gave cause for concern.

"I want to go on record as saying I'm not sure about this plan, Hicca," Fishlegs called out to her.

"If you have another one, I'm open," She replied.

"I just think landing in a wild dragon nesting ground is really going to freak Meatlug out."

Hicca raised an eyebrow at him, "Really? Well, how does she feel about flaming arrows and catapults?"

"Uh, yeah she really doesn't like those, either."

Hicca smiled and rolled her eyes, "Oh, you don't say?"

Snotlout shouted as he flew alongside them, "Tell you what, Fishlegs. When we get there, you just lay back, and let the real dragons do the work."

Fishlegs gave an annoyed sigh. "Yeah... You really have no idea what a swarm of angry wild dragons are capable of."

"You know what would be awesome?" Tuffnut asked as Barf and Belch flew either side of Fishlegs.

Ruffnut answered, "Flaming arrows... Catapults..."

" _And wild Dragons_." The twins cheered together at the idea of so much destruction

"That makes three of you," The larger blond muttered to himself.

/LINE BREAK/

When Arvid was brought before Alvin, he told the Outcast leader the same thing he'd said to Savage. Alvin looked at him with a glare and read a few chapters from the book.

"Seems pretty straight forward to me," He said, closing the book and turning his attention back to the boy in front of him.

"It's _anything_ but straight forward, Alvin."

But the chief gave a dark chuckle. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people will say anything to keep themselves alive. Isn't that right, Savage?"

With Alvin's gaze suddenly falling onto him, Savage couldn't help but stutter slightly, "Right! A-As usual, Alvin."

Alvin gave a smirk and turned back to Arvid, masquerading as Heath, "See?" He stood from his throne and made his way towards Arvid, "Now you say I need to interpret what's in this book, to use it properly. I say it's nothing but a plot."

Arvid kept his voice calm with an innocent tone, "Fine. Give it a try."

For a split second, Alvin looked suspiciously between the book and the boy. But he quickly replaced it with a confident look and tossed the book to one of his men, who quickly dropped his spear and shield to catch the important tomb.

"You heard the lad," Alvin ordered.

The chief walked back towards his throne as the Viking quickly flicked through the pages of the book, trying to find the information that would help him face the Deadly Nadder in front of him. The dragon squawked and gnashed its beak and anyone who came close, the other Vikings all took a step back as the one with the book stepped forward.

"Alright. Uh, seems easy enough." The Viking sounded confident but looked nervously between the book and the beast. "Uh... What kind of dragon is this?"

Arvid did his best to suppress his laughter as he folded his arms over his chest. "It's a Deadly Nadder. You need the page number?"

The Outcast quickly turned back to the book again, "Uh... Nope, nope, right here." He began reading aloud, "Deadly Nadder. Likes to preen. Very sure of itself. Uh... constant grooming. Hmm..." The Viking thought for a moment, "Alright, we'll appeal to its vanity."

Alvin looked unsure, while Arvid just shook his head. He knew full well it wasn't going to work, but he wasn't going to stop the Outcast from trying, this would at least be amusing to watch.

As the Outcast held the book tighter and stepped closer to the Nader, the Dragon finally turned to look down at him. "Well, you, uh, certainly are a lovely girl," Good start, but the Nadder squawked in response. "O-Or are you a handsome boy? Wh-Who can tell?"

The vain dragon, apparently female, really didn't like that. She brought her tail forward and extended her spines outwards, ready to attack. But that was when Arvid leapt into action, he was still the Deadly Nadder expert in the academy, and at the sight of the spines sprouting forth, his instincts kicked in.

In a split second, he leapt forward, rolling over the Viking's dropped shield and yanking it up with him. He jumped in front of the Outcast holding the book just in time, the Nadder fired her spikes and they hit the shield with several small thuds.

The Nadder seemed satisfied that she had proven her point and turned away with a huff, allowing Arvid to lower his shield. He cast a sideways glance to Alvin, hoping his hadn't been found out as an imposter. But by the looks of it, Alvin was just annoyed that the dragon was still untamed.

Arvid dropped the shield and turned to face the chief, "Like I said. The book can only get you so far, Alvin."

/LINE BREAK/

After a long while of flying, the other riders had finally reached the nesting grounds to the west of Outcast Island, they could now start circling round to sneak up on the Outcasts. As Hicca looked around, she couldn't spot any other dragons aside from their own, maybe the wild ones were sleeping elsewhere.

She smirked and turned to the worried rider on her right, "You see this, Fishlegs? You got yourself all worked up for nothing."

But, as per usual, as soon as the words left her mouth, something had to go and prove her wrong. A roar sounded and sent a chill up their spines.

"Umm... You were saying?"

They could now see, wild dragons starting to gather on the sea stacks around them, clearly not happy with the appearance of newcomers in their territory.

"Guys, remember! Stick to the plan! No matter how crazy it gets," Hicca called back to the others.

Snotlout gave a yell of excitement from above, "Crazy!? I love crazy! Bring it!" Put amongst his cheering, he suddenly paused. "Wait! What's the plan again?"

Hicca wasn't given time to explain again as the dragons started flying quickly towards them, all she could do was call out the order. "Now! Fire!"

But instead of their dragons firing their volcanic blasts and heated shots, their riders unhooked the baskets on their backs. All of the riders had been carrying them since they left Berk, just in case they ran into a pack of territorial dragons. Once they pulled the cords on the baskets, the bottoms opened up to drop huge loads of fish into the path of the wild dragons.

Of course, swooping down to eat was much more appealing than attacking, so the wild dragons left them alone in favour of the free food dumped in front of them.

It seemed their plan had worked...

That is, until Snotlout was ripped out of Hookfang's saddle.

Hicca dropped her basket and directed Toothless after the wild Nadder. For some reason, even though Snotlout had emptied his basket, he was still holding onto a single salmon, and the dragon carrying him away really wanted it.

"Would you just let go of the fish?" Hicca called up to him. "I'll catch you!"

"No! That's my lunch!"

"Now!" She ordered.

Thankfully her cousin listened to her and let go of his food, and was dropped by the hungry Nadder, landing safely onto Toothless's back. The teens finally flew out of the sea stack and back into open water, heading directly for Outcast island. Hopefully they would make it before Arvid was discovered.

/LINE BREAK/

As Morning broke on the island, Alvin and his men brought Arvid to the Kill Ring. The Outcast leader wanted to see what the boy could really do.

But as Arvid was pushed towards the entrance to the ring, he turned and held out his hand expectantly.

"What is it?" The chief asked in annoyance.

"The book," Arvid answered in an obvious tone. "I need it." Alvin glared at him for a moment, Arvid feared he wasn't going to hand it over. "Well, I didn't memorize it." Again more of Arvid's forceful personality slipped through the facade of being Heath, but thankfully, Alvin slowly handed over the book.

Once the book was in his hands, Arvid gave a small smile. But it quickly changed to annoyance when Alvin shoved him into the arena, slamming the door shut behind him. Arvid looked around the battle torn ring, the stone walls were crooked and singed, and the metal bars of the roof were rusted and worn. Finally his eyes fell onto the caged door on the other side of the ring.

"Please be a Nadder, please be a Nadder, please be a Nadder," he muttered to himself.

But of course, just like Hicca, Arvid was rarely that lucky. The cage doors were pulled up, and a ball of fire barrelled out. A large Monstrous Nightmare, coated in fire, roared and clawed at the ground.

"Ugh, great." Arvid grumbled. He quickly opened the book and looked through the pages, Nightmares were one of the few dragons he hadn't fully researched.

"Well? I'm waiting," Alvin called from above, as smug tone evident in his voice.

Arvid took a deep breath and closed the book, his eye turned to focus on the dragon in front of him. "Alright, big boy. It's just you and me."

Arvid slowly raised his hand out in front of him and took a couple of steps towards the burning dragon. At first it seemed to be working, the dragon has halted the fires rising from his skin and circled the boy curiously. But when Arvid tried to move closer, the dragon ignited itself again, the wave of heat shoving him back and onto the floor.

Arvid stood and brushed himself off, the feeling of being in a real battle sparking a pulse of adrenaline trough him. "Okay, check that off the list. How 'bout the direct approach?"

He rushed forward and pulled on the Nightmare's tail, trying to find one of the sensitive spots Hicca had told him about. But the purple dragon simply lifted him into the air, where he could only dangle helplessly.

Alvin gave a chuckle as he watched the show, "Our little Heath is feistier than I remember." He and Savage both watched as the Nightmare shook its tail again, this time flinging Arvid off and into the hard stone wall. "This isn't anything my soldiers haven't tried. You'll need to do better," Alvin called again.

Arvid groaned and rose to his feet again, spots of pain flared in his back, but he ignored them. "Ugh! The one time I wish Snotlout was here." But then, just as Arvid faced the dragon again, an idea flashed in his head.

The dragon started to advance towards him again, Arvid rushed forward and leapt onto the dragon's face. The Nightmare shook its head back and forth wildly, but Arvid kept a firm grip to the thick horns protruding from the beast's skull. The dragon had had enough when Arvid placed a foot on its snout. It swung its head to the side and rammed it's forehead into the wall, hopping to squash the annoyance flat.

And by the looks of it, that's exactly what had happened.

Of course it was no great loss to Alvin, at least the book was still in one piece. "Well... That's the end of that."

But Savage pointed to where the dragon's head was still pressed against the wall, "Wait! Look!"

As they watched, the Monstrous Nightmare seemed to be slowly moving its head away from the wall. But as the gap opened up more and more, they could see a pair of hands still moving on the beast's dark horns.

"Urgh! These things don't budge!" Arvid's annoyed voice sounded.

The Outcasts all watched in amazement as the young lad pushed against the wall with feet, forcing the dragon's head back. He looked down into the beast's eyes and gave a defiant look, then he shoved off the wall with all his strength. He yanked the dragon's head down and slammed his horns into the ground.

Thankfully, it worked just as well here as it had with Hookfang. Instantly, the dragon calmed. It's eyes returning to their large oval shape, and it's breaths becoming deep and easy.

It took Alvin a moment to react, but then he erupted into a cheer. "What!? Oh, ho! I told you he knew what he was doing!"

"Yes, you certainly did," Savage resounded quietly with a role of his eyes.

Back in the arena, Arvid had just about had enough. He climbed onto the dragon's neck and patted its jaw. "What do you say we get out of here?" The dragon gurgled in agreement. It rose slowly from the ground, just giving Arvid enough time to snatch the book into his arms.

But the Outcast Vikings knew something was off. They swarmed into the ring armed with spears, but Arvid was ready. He turned the dragons head towards the attackers, allowing the Nightmare to spit out a ball of fire. The Viking's scattered, and Arvid looked around for an escape route. But Alvin's voice sounded again.

"Going somewhere, Heath?"

"As far away from this place as possible!" Arvid yelled up to him.

But the chief gave a dark chuckle, "Without you parents?"

Arvid stared wide eyed as Alvin gestured to his right. Two figures stepped forward, a dark haired woman, and a man with a dark brown beard. Both looking rather shaken, and clearly not fitting in with the Outcast who held swords at their backs.

"Parents? He was telling the truth?" Arvid muttered to himself. He'd just assumed it to be another of Heath's lies, another trick from the one who betrayed them.

Arvid thought for a moment. He had to think of a new plan.

"I might see my way clear to trading 'em for that book," Alvin said as he gestured to the Book of Dragons clutched in Arvid's arms. "Or you can leave, and I'll kill 'em!"

Arvid took a deep breath. He patted the Nightmare's head and directed the dragon to let him down, then he waited for Alvin.

The chief sauntered into the arena, confident he had the upper hand, a group of Outcasts bringing Heath's parents in tow. They stood a little distance away, as Arvid and his new Nightmare friend watched them carefully.

"Well, let's have it," Alvin ordered.

"Send them over first!" Arvid called back.

Alvin shoved the two forward with a look of annoyance, "Fine. Off you go."

Heath's parents quickly made their way forward, but as they grew closer, they soon realised something was off. Arvid's disguise of Heath may have been good enough to fool Alvin, but it could never fool Heath's own mother and father.

"Mom! Dad!" Arvid quickly ran forward and wrapped an arm around each of the adults, he had to make it look convincing. Once they were close enough, he whispered to them in a hushed tone, "I'm a friend of Heath's. I'm here to help." It was strange to call Heath a friend, but he couldn't exactly tell his parents the truth.

"You do realize I'll never let you out of here with that book," Alvin's gravelled voice sounded again.

"No kidding!" Arvid called back. He looked down at the book and whispered to the two captives next to him, "When I tell you, drop to the ground. It's about to get really hot in here!"

"Oh, Heath! I'm waiting!" Alvin was only a few seconds away from ordering his men to rush in and take the book by force. But Arvid attacked first, distracting the Outcast by throwing the book into the air.

"Now!"

Heath's parents dived to the ground, while Arvid turned on the Monstrous Nightmare he'd just befriended. "Sorry, boy." He quickly apologised before landing a punch firmly on the dragon's snout, then he dived to the ground.

The dragon erupted into flames and shot out another fireball, just barely missing Alvin. Arvid ran over to where the book had fallen and grabbed it, he was closely followed by Heaths parents. But then a pained sound forced him to stop.

When he had raced towards the book, Alvin had also attacked with a bola. It had twisted through the air and wrapped around Heath's father's legs, sending him crashing to the ground.

Arvid rushed to help him up, but Alvin made a grab for the book. He tried to keep his grip on the book, but the larger Outcast chief picked them both up and ripped it from his hands. Alvin gave a dark chuckle as he looked down on the boy in his grasp.

But then he noticed something.

He pulled his fingers away from the boy's dark shaggy hair, and was met with the feeling of charcoal on his fingers. Alvin gave a look of surprise, but then he clenched his fist and glared down at Arvid.

/LINE BREAK/

At the edge of Outcast Island, the other teens had landed and were waiting for a signal from Arvid. But they were starting to grow restless.

Arvid should have finished his mission an hour ago, and he was never late. It was starting to worry Hicca. She tapped her metal foot against the ground and kept her eyes peeled on the rocky outcrop leading to the Outcast village, hopping any moment now Arvid would appear there.

And it seemed her hopping worked.

"There's Arvid," she called to the others. Sure enough, the other teens turned to see Arvid walking towards them, stopping at the top of the outcrop. But then they noticed two figures with him.

"Who's that with her?" Fishlegs asked

"I don't know." Hicca then saw Arvid lift his arm to wave at her, "But that's the signal. Okay, let's go bud." Hicca mounted Toothless and held on as the dragon gave a great leap onto the rocks in front of Arvid, unintentionally startling the two adults with her. They were clearly not expecting to see and large and dangerous Night Fury, or the young girl riding it.

"Who's this?" Hicca asked now that she could clearly see the two standing behind Arvid.

"Heath's parents," He said in an innocent tone. But then his voice turned sharp, "He was telling the truth, just go with the plan."

As the words left Arvid's mouth, something didn't feel right to Hicca. Her suspicions were confirmed when Outcasts started popping up like Terrible Terrors, no doubt they would prove to be just as annoying.

"Oi! There they are! Get 'em!" Alvin bark out orders to his men until Hicca and the others were surrounded. "Heh, heh, Hicca. Bet you're surprised to see me."

Hicca remembered her last encounter with Alvin, and decided to use the same tactic she'd used then. "Eh, not really. This is where you live, right?" She answered in a bored tone. She leant down to pat Toothless's head as the dragon growled at Alvin. "Easy, bud. Looks like he's got us. This time," she muttered the last part quietly.

Alvin gave a smirk as he watched the way Hicca and her dragon interacted, patting the book he held in his belt. "You know, Hicca. With this book, your knowledge of dragons, and my knowledge of warfare, we could make quite the team. How's that sound?"

Was he serious?

Hicca listed her words on her fingers, "Insane. Demented. Delusional... Stupid?"

Alvin was actually thrown by just how harshly Hicca turned him down, but he soon got over it. "Alright then, we'll just have to agree to disagree. You're a smart girl, Hicca. You know I can't let you leave the island."

"And you're a smart, murderous, barbarian, Alvin. You know I have a better plan that this."

"So do I."

The two glared at each other for a moment. Then they both gave a yell.

"Now!"

"Now!"

As the other teens jumped forward to attack on their dragons, Alvin's hidden Vikings attacked by shooting arrows from the trees. The dragon riders were able to take out most of the Vikings on the ground, but then nest started falling from above.

"This wasn't part of the plan, Hicca!" Fishlegs yelled as he was caught.

He was soon followed by the twins when the Outcasts lassoed Barf and Belch, sending the twins flying into a heap on the ground.

Toothless batted some Vikings aside while firing a plasma blast at them, but their shields were heat resistant, the shot barely leaving a singe mark. Hookfang was having a similar problem when a line of Outcasts started to push him and Snotlout back. Arvid knocked out an Outcast and took his shield, hoping to help as more arrows rained from above.

"There's too many of them!" Snotlout yelled as more men started to box them in. They also gathered around the fallen twins and a captured Fishlegs and Meatlug.

But as Hicca tried to look for a break in the Outcasts defensive line, a shadow moved over the ground in front of them. At first she thought she was seeing things, but then a shot was fired from above. It burnt away the net holding Fishlegs and Meatlug down, and then another blast freed Barf and Belch.

Arvid and Hicca both stared up in disbelief, "I that...?"

A loud cheer sounded from above as a familiar blue Nadder flew over them, and on her saddle, was another familiar face.

"Heath!"

"Stormfly!"

Alvin looked up in disbelief, "What? Heath!?" He really hadn't been expecting that.

Stormfly landed next to Arvid, who dropped her shield and rushed over to stroke his dragon's snout. It took a second for Heath to realise that it was in fact Arvid dressed as him, but the surprise soon wore off.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you!" Arvid called up to him.

"It's okay. I wouldn't have believed me either."

Heath reached down and pulled Arvid up into Stormfly's saddle, arrows still whizzing past them. "Now, let's get you parents."

The Nightfury, Nadder, and Nightmare took off into the air. Arvid spotted Heath's parents amongst the Outcast Vikings, and directed Stormfly to swoop down and grab them in her talons.

"Mom, Dad, hang on!" Heath's voice called down to them, hoping they wouldn't pass out from the shock of being carried by a dragon.

On the ground, Barf and Belch were able to rescue the twins, who quickly flew up into the air to join everyone else. Now with everyone back in the air with their dragons, they could start fighting back.

"Alright guys, just like we practiced!" Hicca called out to the others. She directed Toothless closer to the Zippleback, "Ruffnut, cover fire!"

Ruffnut looked over and spotted a line of catapults on their left near the cliffs, "It's about time!"

She and Tuffnut swooped down towards the heavy artillery. The female twin pulled on Barfs horns, coaxing him into spewing his green gasses over the large weapons, the smoke plumed and swirled over them.

"I love this part!" Tuffnut was practically jumping around in his saddle, "Wait for it..." Once Ruffnut had almost completely covered the catapults in explosive gas, Tuffnut pulled on Belch's horns. The second Zippleback head opened its mouth, its tongue clicking as a spark blinked into life, igniting the gas.

Flames engulfed the wooden weapons, shattering them and burning them to ashes. The twins cheered at the destruction.

But Alvin still had some catapults ready. The Outcasts fired a large rock at Toothless and Hicca, but thankfully the Nightfury was agile enough to quickly dodge. But the rock was still flying through the air.

"Fishlegs! Incoming!"

The large blond boy and his dragon spotted the boulder, and both knew just want to do. The Gronckle opened her mouth wide and snatched the rock out of the air, munching down happily.

"Nice catch girl!" Fishlegs stroked the dragon's head, then pointed forward, "Lava blast!" Meatlug fired a burning molten rock from her maw, landing a direct hit to the metal bucket of the catapult. The metal melted away, leaving the weapon unusable.

Arvid and Heath cheered from above as they watched the others fight, they would have helped, but they had to be careful with Heath's parents. The Outcasts didn't care however, and kept firing at the Nadder, arrows whizzing through the air barely missing them.

"Now! Snotlout!" Arvid yelled.

The dark haired male heard them and gave Hookfang the signal, the Nightmare ignited himself in his flame jacket and swooped in low. "Go for it!"

Just as practiced, Stormfly fired a handful of spines forward towards the Outcasts. But instead of just letting them pierce the ground as normal, Hookfang intercepted them. As he flew by in front of the spikes, the flaming trail he left behind encapsulated the spines. The ordinary projectiles, now became flaming arrows, heading straight for Alvin's men. The trees caught on fire, and the Outcasts quickly scurried away.

"You feeling the heat, boys? Cuz' _I_ sure am!" Snotlout cheered from above.

Hicca flew over the burning trees, searching for anymore Vikings, but by the looks of it, most had run off. "Great job, guys. Let's get out of here." At her command, the others turned an started flying away.

But Alvin wasn't about to let them go. "They're getting away! Stop them!" With most of his men having run off, Alvin acted quickly. Picking Savage off the ground, and dumping him into the one working catapult.

At first Savage was going to question whether Alvin was serious, but then he remembered what kind of man his chief was. "Shouldn't we test this first?"

Alvin didn't answer and simply pulled the lever. The catapult sprung into life, flinging Savage into the air with a not-so-manly scream.

Somehow, Alvin's plan actually worked.

As Savage flailed through the air, he somehow sailed over the Deadly Nadder and managed to grab one of its riders.

Hicca turned in surprise and worry, at first not able to comprehend what just happened, but then she realised that either Arvid or Heath was now falling through the air. It turned out to be Arvid who had been ripped from Stormfly's saddle, he somehow managed to right himself and aimed for one of the incoming tree branches.

While Savage missed the trees and landed with a thud, Arvid managed to grab the one of the dark, crooked branches. But before he could pull himself up, the branch snapped and broke away from the tree.

He landed hard on the ground and tried to stop his head from spinning, but a hand reached out and grabbed him before he could try and stand. Alvin snarled at him and threw him over his shoulder, making a break for it as Arvid kick and punched his much larger frame.

"Arvid!" Hicca yelled after them. Toothless turned in the air and chased them down, firing several blasts at Alvin's heels while also trying not to hit Arvid.

Alvin darted left and right, until finally Toothless cornered him at the edge of a cliff. But Alvin yanked Arvid from his shoulder and grasped his shoulder tightly, holding him over the edge, his legs dangling over nothing.

"Surrender! Or I'll..." Arvid started to chuckle darkly, "You know the rest."

Hicca glared at Alvin and placed her hand firmly on Toothless's head, all they had to do was get Arvid away from the Outcast, then Toothless could fly in and safe him.

But suddenly, Arvid's yell stopped her. "Hicca! Don't shoot!"

Toothless swallowed his plasma blast back down into his throat, he and Hicca both looked at Arvid in surprise.

Suddenly, a purple Monstrous Nightmare soared up the cliff face and knock Alvin aside. Arvid landed next to Alvin and quickly rolled to the side to grab the book, his hand grasping the leather bound tomb, just as he was whisked into the air.

He clambered onto the Nightmares neck and directed him up into the air, soon followed by Hicca.

"Who is that?" Hicca asked as Toothless flew alongside the new Nightmare.

Arvid stroked the Nightmares jaw, "Just a new friend I made."

Finally able to join the others, the dragons began their long flight home.

When Savage joined his chief on the cliff, he was surprised to see a creepy smile on Alvin's face.

"Did you see that? That dragon came for her. It protected her!"

"Bonded with her," Savage agreed. "We need to get that book back, Alvin!"

Alvin chuckled darkly again. "Oh, we need more than that book. We need that _girl_."

/LINE BREAK/

Having finally returned to Berk, Hicca was able to tell her father what had happened. He certainly wasn't happy that Hicca and the others had gone on such a dangerous mission alone, but they had come back safe and sound, that was the main thing. He was still wary of Heath, but Hicca assured him everything was alright now.

Arvid was also finally able to change back into his normal clothes and wash the charcoal from his blond hair. By sunset that day, a boat was prepared for Heath and his parents, after such an ordeal they were finally able to return to their home island in the south.

Hicca and Arvid were there to see him off, even though Heath had spent more than half his time on Berk as a spy, he had proven himself when it counted.

"I can't thank you enough," the dark haired male said as they stood on the docks. "Especially you, Arvid. You put your life on the line for us. I'll never forget that." Before Arvid could stop him, Heath threw his arms around the blond in a tight hug.

At first Arvid was too surprised to react, but he soon smiled and patted Heath on the back, Hicca stood back and watched with a small giggle. As Heath let go of Arvid and stood back, Hicca expected hug as well. But instead, Heath turned to pat Toothless on the head instead.

"I'm going to miss you. Both of you," he added with a grin, as he turned and patted Hicca on the head as well, ruffling her long auburn hair.

"Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again sometime," Hicca said hopefully.

"Maybe we will."

"Just promise me one thing," Hicca looked up at him with large green eyes. "If need help again, you'll ask."

Heath smiled and nodded, "I will, I promise."

With that, Heath turned and made his way down the gang plank into the sail boat. Stoick stood on the docks near the front of the ship and spoke to Heath parents, making sure they had everything they needed and wished them a safe journey.

As the wind caught the sail, Heath helped his dad push off. He waved goodbye to Hicca and Arvid, as the boat sailed into open water and began its journey away from Berk.

 _Ever since dragons showed up on Berk, we've learned to expect the unexpected. But every once in a while, something or someone comes along that surprises us. And when that happens, you kind of hate to see them go._

End of episode 11.

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 **Chapter 11 finally done :) Finally back on track with this, I had to stop for a long time because of Graduation, new job, and a lot of other stuff. But now I'm back :) Let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	12. Thawfest

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 12 is finally here, another fun episode, lots of action packs moment and some actually interesting character development around Snotlout :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 12**

 **Thawfest**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _Every year on Berk, we come together to test our strength, endurance and courage in the annual Thawfest Games. For some of us, it's not such a great time of year._

All over Berk, flags and banners hung around the village and the arena, all adorned with the image of the rise sun. It was meant to represent the rising talent on Berk. There was to be a competition where the teens of Berk could show how much they'd grown and improved.

All of the teens were training hard, preparing for the different challenges ahead of them. Arvid was doing press-ups on a wooden beam, the twins were testing their balance, Fishlegs was improving his axe throwing, and Hicca...

She was trying to uproot a tree.

She wasn't sure exactly how pulling on a tree would help her training, but Gobber had convinced her it would help in the upcoming competitions. While her father was getting the village prepared for the competition, Gobber was training her.

It was going about as well as you'd expect.

"Come on, Hicca! Pull!" Gobber tried to encourage her. But it really didn't make much of a difference. No matter how much Hicca pulled, the young sapling just sprung back up right.

"Put your back into it! Put your legs into it! Put your entire body into-" Just then, Hicca's grip slipped from the tree. The overgrown twig sprung back and thwacked the Blacksmith in the face, Hicca threw him an apologetic look.

Gobber decided to pause their training for now, they weren't getting anywhere anyway. As she looked around, she spotted Snotlout and her uncle Spitelout a little distance away. Hicca felt almost envious as she watched them.

Unlike her, Snotlout was able to pull another sapling out of the ground and threw it to one side, as if it weighed nothing at all. The father and son celebrated, while Hicca just gave a sigh.

After their break, Gobber and Hicca moved on to the next training exercise. In hindsight, running with a sheep on her shoulder did sound strange, but when compared to the other contests involved, it was just par for the course.

The sheep was already quite a load to carry, it weighed almost as such as she did, and her legs were struggling to run along the rocky path. As she was running along the track Gobber had planned out, Snotlout decided to add to her plight. As she was struggling and panting under the load, he run up behind her and passed her whilst carrying his own sheep.

"See ya! Wouldn't want to be ya!" He taunted her as he ran off.

Hicca felt a wave of weight slam into her, she stumbled on a random tree root and almost fell forward onto her face. Thankfully she was able to correct herself and only fell backwards onto her bum, her sheep ran off and she was left sitting on the ground, watching as Snotlout ran off. Nothing strange there.

 _In fact, I've lost every single time... to that guy. But this year, all that will change. This year I finally have a chance to win. Because, for the first time ever, the Thawfest Games will include..._

"Dragons!"

The teens stood around Gobber in the academy, their dragons by their sides, only Snotlout and Hookfang were missing. For the next few days, the academy would go back to being an arena, all the Vikings would gather there to watch the teens compete.

"They are now officially part of Thawfest," Gobber announced. "There will be three additional events. The fly-and-shoot, which will require you to fly straight and shoot straight."

With impeccable timing, a plume of fire shot over his head, forcing him to duck under the burning shot. "Hey!" He turned to glare at the culprits.

"Sorry! We were on the wrong head," Tuffnut called out.

"I knew something felt weird," Ruffnut spoke up. The twins swapped heads, Ruffnut now sitting on Barf and Tuffnut on Belch. They let out another blast, this time burning the flag attached to Gobber's right arm.

"Ah, much better."

Gobber blew out the smouldering flag and continued his list. "Next is the free-style, where it's up to you to impress the judges with a trick of your choice."

"That's it, girl. Just like we practiced!" The others looked up at the sound of Arvid's confident voice. As Stormfly glided around the arena, Arvid cart-wheeled over her wings and stood on his hands on her back.

Gobber gave an approving nod, "Ah! The Nadder Wing Walk. Impressive, Arvid."

Fishlegs stepped closer with a raised hand, "Um, excuse me. Meatlug and I were wondering if there were going to be any intellectual events. A puzzle perhaps?"

Gobber gave the boy a pat on the shoulder, "I'll take that under advisement, Fishlegs." He turned back to the others, "And let's not forget the hurdles! Where you'll be asked to-"

"Woohooooo!" A loud whooping filled the air, again forcing the other teens to turn their attention to the sky.

Hookfang flew over the arena and swooped in through the entrance, kicking up dust into the others face, Snotlout jumping off and strutting up to the others. Around his neck hung many shining medals, he'd won every single Thawfest game for the last 7 years, so he had a lot of awards to show off.

"You know what I love about the Thawfestival Games? Wining!" He answered his own question as he stepped closer to Hicca. "You wanna touch one of my medals, just to see how it feels to be a winner?" He dangled one of his medals in front of her, once again belittling his smaller cousin.

"I think I'll pass," Hicca said in a bored tone.

"My family has never lost a Thawfest Game. Ever." He stated with pride, and he was right. The Jorgenson's were all winners.

"Here we go..." Arvid muttered.

"Dragons or no dragons, I'll do what I do every year: Bring glory to Jorgenson clan. And you'll do what you do: Embarrass yours." With that said, Snotlout walked back to Hookfang, had he really come all this way just to show off his medals?

"Let's go, Hookfang!" But the Nightmare jumped up before Snotlout was properly in the saddle, leaving Snotlout dangling from the dragon's neck. The boy let out a scream as they took to the air, "Aaaah! I will crush you all!"

/LINE BREAK/

That night Hicca still had a bitter taste in her mouth. Every year he did this, rubbing it in her face that he was stronger and better than her.

But this time, it seemed to hit Hicca even deeper.

After so many years of just accepting that Snotlout was stronger than her, this time would be different. Hicca didn't have to just stay silent and let him say whatever he wanted anymore, this time she actually stood a chance of beating him.

She had spent every second of her time drawing up designs, making calculations, and testing many different materials and systems. She planned on perfecting Toothless's tail controls, so that every twist of her foot in the peddle would instantly alter his tail, in exactly the way she needed for maximum effect.

Her long hair was tied back in a tight ponytail as she worked, keeping it out of her face. She finished another planning page and picked up her measuring tape, she walked over to Toothless and triple checked her measurements on his mechanics.

As she worked, she heard her father's heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, "What are you two working on?"

"Some ideas for Thawfest," she answered simply.

"Right... Right... Excellent," Her dad muttered.

And then he just stood there, watching her work. It wasn't exactly comfortable, working with someone looking over your shoulder, so Hicca decided to speak up.

"So... did you need something, Dad?"

Stoick apparently hadn't realised he'd been staring, "Oh, well... uh... with the dragons, you could actually, uh..." Her father danced around the subject, but Hicca knew what he was referring to.

"Beat Snotlout? Best the Jorgensons?"

Stoick gave a small chuckle, "Well, when you put it that way it does have a nice ring." Hicca gave a smile, it would be great to finally be able to beat Snotlout. "Okay, then! I'll let you get back to whatever it is, um, you two do. Yeah," With that, Stoick awkwardly backed out of the Hicca's room and left her to her work.

Hicca turned back as Toothless gave a gurgle. They were both excited and ready for the tournament tomorrow.

/LINE BREAK/

"Let the Thawfestival Games begin!"

Stoick's voice rang out as everyone gathered at the arena, the caged dome roof had been lifted off, leaving the ring open to the air. The flags fluttered and the sun beat down on the ring, on the cliff face 6 crudely painted faces of the teens were drawn to keep track of the score. The crowd cheered as terrible terrors were released into the air, signalling the start of the event, and also forcing everyone in the audience to hide their food.

After psyching themselves up, the teens line up in front of the gated entrance, some waving to the crowd as the waited for Bucket and Mulch to make their announcement, their dragons standing to the side watching.

"The contenders are lining up for the Sheep Lug," Mulch announced into his horn.

"It's a good day for lugging sheep, Mulch," Bucket pointed out as he looked over the arena.

The other man nodded, "Well, Bucket, everyday's a good day for lugging sheep."

As the two announcers conversed, the teens had their sheep mounted on their shoulders by Gobber. While Hicca lurched slightly under the heavy weight, she spotted Snotlout out of the corner of her eye, having no trouble at all. But she couldn't focus on him now, the race was about to start.

"On your mark..." The teens took a step forward.

"Get set..." They knelt forward.

Mulch banged his hook against Bucket's head and loud clank rang out.

The teens set off.

Snotlout instantly took the lead, soon followed by Arvid, the two were pretty much equal, but the larger male had slightly more strength. Hicca pretty much gave up on coming first or second, but at least she wouldn't be last, the twins weren't really focused on winning, and Fishlegs, although very strong, wasn't much of a runner.

As predicted, Snotlout reached the other side of the ring first. He threw the sheep down and raised his arms victoriously, the crowd all cheering for him.

"That's my boy!" Spitelout yelled out from the crowd.

Stoick turned from Snotlout and Spitelout yelling at each other and looked over to the other teens, Arvid had crossed the line a little while after Snotlout, and Hicca after him. As soon as her feet made it across the finish line, Hicca's legs collapsed under her, falling forward with the sheep landing on her back.

"The first point of the Thawfest Games goes to Snotlout!"

Hicca looked up at the cliff face to see a line being painted alongside the drawing of Snotlout's face, well at least the first trial was over, and she hadn't come last.

Finally the sheep removed itself from Hicca's back, allowing her to finally breathe again. She was about to stand when she spotted a pair of brown boots in her face.

"Right where you belong! Down at my feet," Snotlout's voice sounded above her. "Here, let me help you," As a hand was lowered down to her, Hicca reached out her own to take it. She should of realised Snotlout would pull it away from her without a second thought, "Oops! Too slow! As usual."

Hicca pushed herself off the ground, watching Snotlout leave whilst glaring at his back.

"Next up is out traditional Log Roll event!" Mulch announced. This one was one of Hicca's lest favourites, her balance was alright, but having to balance whilst keeping up with the others was the hardest part.

"Enjoy you face-plant!" Snotlout called as he started to run, giving the others no choice but to also start running.

After that, everything soon took a turn.

Fishlegs was the first to go and stumbled over his own feet, his arms flailed out and knocked Arvid off the log before falling himself. Soon after, the twins were distracted by Arvid and Fishlegs tumble and somehow ended up tangling their legs around each other. Tuffnut fell first but hung on to the wooden beam, Ruffnut followed and the two ended up spinning round the log.

Hicca and Snotlout were the only ones left, she was somehow managing to keep up with him. But Snotlout ran even faster in a burst of speed, Hicca barely lasted another moment before she was also thrown off.

"And another point goes to Snotlout!" With Mulch's orders, Bucket painted another line next to Snotlout's picture.

As the other's managed to pick themselves up from the ground, Hicca found herself stuck in a crevice in the stone floor, she must have been thrown from the log pretty hard. Thankfully Toothless rushed over to free her, pulling her out of the hole and back onto solid ground.

"Ow. Thank you, Toothless," Hicca patted his head as she got back to her feet, but at the same time, a worried and annoyed look crossed her face.

"The next event is the Axe Throwing contest, where accuracy is supreme!"

Again the teens lined up, with Snotlout going first. He twisted his axe in his hand effortlessly then hurled it forward, it spun threw the air and imbedded itself deep into the target.

"Bull's Eye!" Mulch called out.

Hicca gave a sigh, she could barely lift the axe let alone throw it. But thankfully Arvid was next, maybe he'd at least be a challenge for Snotlout, an axe was his main weapon after all. But as he pulled his axe back and took aim, Fishlegs did the same. Their axes collided a few feet in front of them, both falling to the ground without even making it close to the target. Fishlegs froze, looking very apologetic as Arvid fixed him with a glare.

Ruffnut was next, and apparently she was trying to put more power behind her swing by spinning on the spot, not a bad idea... so long as her aim was good. Unfortunately that didn't seem to be the case, as her axe slipped from her hand and sail right towards Stoick. Hicca was about to panic until she remembered just what kind of man her father was, he caught the axe in his hand, not even flinching. Tuffnut tried a similar approach, and at least his axe was thrown forward, but it still flew too far and almost hit a member of the crowd.

Finally it was Hicca's turn, she pulled her arm back and flung the weapon forward as hard as she could. At first her throw looked pretty good, and her aim seemed spot on. But there just wasn't enough power behind it and the weapon fell short in front of the target barrels, impacting the ground instead.

Snotlout gave a chuckle and stepped forward, ripping her axe out of the ground and walking back towards her. "Here's how it's done, Dragon Girl."

Without even turning around, Snotlout tossed the axe over his shoulder, once again making it hit the target dead on. But he wasn't done there.

Snotlout ripped two more axes from the weapon wall, throwing them over his shoulder one after the other. They each landed perfectly in the target, all the while Hicca grew more and more annoyed.

"Show off," she muttered under her breath as the whole crowd cheered.

As the crowd applauded, Spitelout called over to the chief, "Why don't you just give him the medal now, Stoick? Save your girl the embarrassment?"

Hicca looked up to her father and saw him glare back at her uncle. "Why don't you take a seat, Spitelout," his voice stern and deep. Those who had been laughing with Spitelout just a moment ago all settled down as he took his seat.

Gobber leaned over to Stoick from his own seat, "Don't let him get to you."

"He's been getting to me for years. Why should today be any different?" Stoick said solemnly.

Hicca stood in the arena looking up at the cliff face, at the top was Snotlout with 3 points, and at the very bottom was Hicca's own drawing. "Well, dead last again," she muttered to herself

"Wow! I have all the points and the best-looking picture? Unfair!" Snotlout's tone was uncaring and obnoxious as he stood next to her with a smirk on his face.

Hicca gave an annoyed sigh, "Oh, have your fun now. Tomorrow, everything changes... Right, bud?" Hicca stepped closer and patted the Night Fury on the head, the dark dragon growled at the large boy and his Nightmare.

"I can't wait. Because Hookfang and I... It's like boy and dragon have become one. We're like a Bragon. Or a Droy." Snotlout climbed onto Hookfang's neck and took off before turning and yelling down to her one last time, "Or a SnotFang!"

Was that actually meant to be threatening? Hicca didn't even know, she was just so annoyed, she yelled after him. "Yeah! Well, tomorrow you're gonna have to deal with... HicTooth!"

"HicTooth?" Arvid gave an amused chuckle as he stepped up behind her.

A large blush spread of Hicca's cheeks as she realised what she'd just been yelling, "Yeah... It's not my snappiest comeback."

"Why are you letting yourself get caught up in this?" He asked with a concerned look

Hicca gave a sigh, "Because... for the first time ever, I have a chance to beat Snotlout. To finally quiet him down-"

As if to prove her point, Snotlout soared over head while yelling loudly, flying so low Hookfang's claws almost clipped the top of their heads. "Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!"

Arvid rolled his eyes, "Good point. I have to admit, it would be nice to see someone else with a Thawfest medal." He threw her a wink before climbing onto Stomfly's back.

Hicca blushed a little more before looking back towards the sky after Snotlout, she was not going to let him win tomorrow.

/LINE BREAK/

"Welcome to day two of the Thawfest Games!"

For the first time ever, Thawfest was being spread out over two days. Not that anyone was complaining about another day of competition and celebration, they all stood in the stand once more as the teens prepared for the next events.

"Let the Dragon events begin! First up, the Hurdles!"

In front and along the slopping entrance to the arena, stood several thick wooden bars, standing ready for the dragons and their riders to manoeuvre around.

""Hurdles, smurdles. I could make it over those things in my sleep." Snotlout scoffed.

Hicca waved her hand forward with a smile, "Be my guest."

Arvid shook his head with a smirk, "You don't go _over_ them, Snotlout, you go _under_ them."

Snotlout look a little embarrassed for a second before replacing it with a confident smirk, "Duh, I knew that." As their riders spoke, Hookfang turned and growled at Toothless, the Nightfury turned and did the same. It was almost like they could feel the competitive energy seeping out from their riders.

But that would have to wait, seeing as Fishlegs was up first.

And unfortunately, a heavy-set teen on a heavy-set dragon, makes one large team trying to get through a rather small gap.

"Um, guys! A little help over here!" The large boy called, he and Meatlug were stuck under the first beam. As the Gronckle gave a whimper, Fishlegs reached down to pat her head, "It's okay, girl. This just isn't our event."

Next up was Arvid. At first he was doing well, but on the last few hurdles, Stormfly started to rise a little too early. The large spike along the crown of her head hit the wooden beam, making a sudden thunk noise, Arvid winced at the sound, but thankfully Stormfly was only a little dazed and still finished the whole run.

The twins were up next, but once again they couldn't really coordinate their dragon's to heads. For some reason, Ruffnut tried weaving over one of the hurdle, apparently she hadn't been listening when they were told to only go under them. Barf and Belch got caught on the wooden bar and the twins were flung forward, Ruff and Tuff were flung forward into the crowd, landing upside down against the benches.

Hicca winced as she watched the twins collide with the spectator seats, thank the gods they were hard-headed. She was then forced to turn at the sound of Snotlout's voice.

"Where's your book, Hicca!? You might want to take notes!" With that, Hookfang rocketed forward. Even though Hicca didn't want him to win, she still winced again when his run turned out ten times worse than Arvid's. Hookfang flew under the hurdles very well, but Snotlout ended up hitting his head on every single beam. Hicca gave a flinch at every single clang, as her cousin's helmet repeatedly hit the wood.

But Hicca shook her concern away when her turn arrived, she leaned down to Toothless, "Let's show them how it's done."

Hicca flew towards the beams just as the others had done, but suddenly Toothless spun upside down. After all the tricks they had done in the past flying upside down was an easy feet for them. They glided under the hurdles, not hitting a single one, ending in an elegant spin as they came out the other end.

"And Hicca makes a perfect run!" Mulch called.

For the first time ever, in the history of their time competing in the Thawfest Games, Snotlout had lost a challenge. But more impressive than that, was the Hicca had actually won.

She and Toothless landed next to the others, raising her hands into the air to cheer for herself. "Ha, ha, ha! Did you hear what he said? 'Perfect' I-I believe those are my first Thawfest points ever! I just realized something: I like beating Snotlout! I feel taller. Am I taller? Never mind, don't answer that." She was talking a mile a minute, so wrapped up in herself she didn't notice the surprised faces around her.

"Is she... gloating?" Fishlegs asked Arvid quietly.

Arvid just frown in concern, "I'm not sure. I've never actually seen Hicca gloat."

Just as Hicca finished her ramblings and turned to them with a smile, Snotlout landed beside her. "Don't get too excited. You know what this is?" He held up a single finger. "Still the number of wins I need to end this thing. And you know what this is?" He held up two fingers. "The number of chances I have."

Hicca threw him a smirk, "Oh, yeah? Well, you know what this is?" She held up her pointer finger and thumb in a ring. "The size of your brain. No. Wait..." She tightened the circle and made it smaller. "That's much better."

Snotlout just glared at her, clearly not amused. "Like you've ever seen my brain. Come on, Hookfang," He mumbled to himself before pushing his dragon forward taking off to the other side of the arena.

"Next we have the Free-Style event! Contestants and their dragons show off their style and abilities!"

First up were the twins, performing quite a shaky balancing act as their Zippleback flew in the air. Ruffnut was standing on Tuffnut's shoulders while he was standing on the dragon's back. It was actually going well until Tuffnut took a step forward, he stepped forward onto the dragon's necks as their heads separated, sending him into a painful split, all the while Ruffnut's wait was still bearing down on him. Tuffnut let out a yelp as all the males winced at the sight, they ended up scoring only a 2 from the three judges.

Next was Fishlegs. He sat on top of Meatlug with his arms outstretched, while she flew in small circles. It seemed pretty simple, but the more Meatlug flew in a circle, the dizzier she and Fishlegs became. The two ended up spinning out and hitting one of the stone walls resulting in a score of 4.

Arvid was next, performing his impressive acrobatics on Stormfly's back as she flew over the crowd. It did look impressive, but Arvid was already known for his athletic feats, the display was good, but now exciting enough for the judges. He ended his display with an above average score of 7.

Next was Hicca, and she was starting with a bang. She flew high into the air over the ocean and looped back to soar over the crowd, aiming for one of the cliff faces that stood near the arena. Just as they were coming in close, the two aimed straight up and back-flipped as the rocketed into the air. The speed and style were amazing, the crowd could barely keep up with them, and their daredevil style caused a rush through everyone. It was no surprise when they received a high score of 9.

Finally it was Snotlout's turn, and by the looks of it, he was planning something big.

"I hear Snotlout's gonna try a trick called 'The Rings of Deadly Fire'. No one's ever tried it before." Tuffnut said as Hicca and Ruffnut stood either side of him.

"Yeah! Because it's too dangerous," Ruffnut said excitedly.

Tuffnut frowned at her, "No! Because he just made it up!"

Hicca watched the two with a raised eyebrow, then she turned back to her cousin, he was sitting on Hookfang's neck while three large wooden rings stood in front of them. She wanted to beat him, but a small part also hoped he wouldn't get hurt.

"I'm probably gonna win just for coming up with this!" Snotlout said confidently. He pulled on the Nightmare's horns and the two shot into the sky, they circled around and aimed for the hoops. Coming in through the entrance to the arena, Snotlout gave the order, "Fire!"

Hookfang sent a blast of fire forward and cover the rings in liquid flames. The rings were now alight as Snotlout stood on Hookfang's neck, ready to make a grand exit out the other side. But all of a sudden Hookfang's eyes widened at the rings of fire, as if he suddenly realised this was a bad idea. He reared back with a screech, flapping his wings desperately to stop his forward momentum. Thankfully he managed to stop himself, but Snotlout wasn't so lucky.

Since he wasn't sat securely in the saddle, he was instead flung forward towards the flames. He hit the first ring with a massive thud, bouncing off it and down to the stone floor, the rings then collapsed into each other like dominos, splintering into a pile of broken wood. From among the burning rubble Snotlout jumped up and ran over to a basin of water, smoke drifting from his behind, he jumped in and sat in the water to put out the smouldering flames.

As he sat there he looked over to the crowd, watching with guilt as his father held his head in his hands, almost embarrassed for his son. Snotlout looked up towards the judges, cringing as they held up their scores, all 0, the lowest score possible.

While the next event was being set up, Hicca went in search of Snotlout. She found him in the arena looking up at the scoreboard cliff face, there were now three points next to his name, and two next to Hicca's. She was catching up.

"Wow, Snotlout, your dad looks pretty made right now," She said with a small grin. They both looked up at the crowd and spotted Spitelout looking down at them, his arms were folded with a deep scowl on his features. Hicca would recognise the look of a disappointed parent anywhere.

Snotlout turned back to her with a fierce look, "What do you know? He always looks like that! Do you really think you have any shot of beating me?" He asked with his usual confident look.

Hicca returned the smirk, "As a matter of fact I do have a shot of beating you."

"Do not!"

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"Do too!" Hicca had finally had enough. "Think about it! Toothless is a Night Fury, and I'm the best rider. How can I possibly lose?"

"Because that's what you do! I win, you lose!"

Hicca pointed to the cliff face, "Check the scoreboard, Snotlout. Not anymore!"

Snotlout spun between glaring at his cousin and the leader board, torn between weather to be angrier with her, or himself. He gave a huff and stormed off, almost shoving passed Arvid as the blond entered the arena.

"What was that about," Arvid asked Hicca.

She gave a sigh, "Just rattling cages." She smirked and hurried over to Toothless to get ready for the final event of the day.

Arvid didn't follow and instead stared after her with a frown, he really was becoming worried about her attitude. "Since when do you 'rattle cages'?" He muttered.

"The contestants are lined up for the Fly-and-Shoot, where they must shoot down their foes and spare their friends!"

Dotted around the outside of the arena, Gobber and the others had set up several wooden boards, all cut and painted to look like houses in the village. Hiding behind some of the structures were several spring boards, weighed down with flour sacks so they didn't all spring up at once. Some looking like hideous enemy Vikings, and the others like harmless villagers.

Everyone gathered around the ring for the final event, but it pretty much went as well as expected. The twins blew up the houses instead of the people, mostly because they were bigger and they wanted to watch them burn. Arvid directed Stormfly to fire her spines at most of the enemy cut outs, only missing a few surprise pop-ups towards the end. Fishlegs not only avoided hitting every single friendly Viking but also all of the enemy ones. His defence being that they could have been really mean looking friendly Vikings.

The final two riders were the ones everyone was waiting for. If Snotlout won, then the Jorgenson family would win another medal in the Thawfest Games. But if Hicca won... well no one was really sure what would happen, there had never been a tie in the Thawfest Games before. They were all excited to see what would happen.

As the second to last in line, it was Hicca's turn to take to the sky. She and Toothless flew low over the wooden structures, Toothless slowing down to properly look over the scenery. When the first enemy Viking popped up, Hicca directed him to fire, a purple plume fanning out from where his plasma blast destroyed the target. She quickly stopped him from firing again when a friendly Viking sprang forward.

The neared the end of the cause and looked around for any last enemies, not wanting to miss a single one. When the final fierce looking wooden structure popped up behind them, Toothless leapt into the air, instantly going into protective mode, and fired at the wooden enemy.

"Thanks, bud, I didn't see that one." With the last enemy defeated, Hicca steered Toothless towards the finish line.

"Hicca and Toothless come through with a perfect score!" Mulch announced.

Snotlout watched Hicca cross the finish line, his chances of beating her were starting to look slim. "Okay, Hookfang. A clean run here and we're the champs." As soon as he heard the clank from Bucket's bucket, he pushed Hookfang forward.

They flew along the exact same course as the others before him, and soon enough they came across the first menacing looking wooden cut out, Snotlout ordered him to fire. Hookfang sent out a stream of fire and set alight the wooden enemy, setting the bag of flour on fire as well, the white powder plumed upwards into Hookfang's face.

While Snotlout cheered, Hookfang started to cringe as the powder tickled the inside of his nostrils. The Nightmare suddenly let out a thunderous sneeze, shooting out a blast of fire at a group of wooden friendly wooden cut outs, to make it even worse, they were painted to look like children.

"No! Those were kids you six-thousand-pound lizard!" Snotlout yelled at his dragon. But yelling didn't stop another sneeze erupting from Hookfang, another stream of fire fell upon the wooden structures, followed by another and another.

"This does not look good for the reigning Thawfestival Champion!"

The Nightmare's sneezing attack didn't end until all of the wooden boards were alight, nothing made of wood was left standing. Snotlout's turn was considered over and another point was given to Hicca.

The two stood on a podium in the arena as the crowd cheered for them, Mulch spoke into his horn to announce to the audience. "And for the first time in Thawfest history, we have a tie! Tomorrow, these two young Vikings will go head-to-head in an event to decide the Thawfest Champion!"

Hicca and Snotlout waved to the crowd, all of them excited to see the final competition tomorrow. As he waved, Snotlout leaned over and whispered to Hicca, "I can't believe how lucky you are. You don't even belong on this stage with me."

Hicca frowned at him as they stepped off the podium, he wasn't just being annoying now, he was being downright rude. "That's it keep talking, Snotlout, as your family's winning streak goes up on smoke... just like your Rings of Deadly Fire."

Snotlout whirled round to glare at her, but his words got caught in his mouth and he could only grumble angrily, he turned a stomped away. Hicca almost chuckled, "Hey, what's the matter? Yak got your tongue?"

"Hicca!" The auburn haired girl turned at the sound of Arvid's voice, he stormed up to her, looking really cross with her.

But she didn't seem to notice, "Oh, he's crumbling under the pressure, I can feel it." Hicca was so close to beating Snotlout, she felt almost giddy with excitement. Tomorrow she would finally be able to beat him, and then she could rub it in his face for months to come. But as she thought of how great wining would be, she glanced up at Arvid with a grin, but was greeted with a harsh frown. "What?" Hicca asked as she raised an eyebrow before him.

Arvid held his glare for a moment longer, then his shoulders slumped and his frown turned almost sad. "You know what I always liked about you, Hicca? You were always a gracious loser. Who knew you'd be such a lousy winner."

Hicca's eyes widened as Arvid shook his head, he turned away and left Hicca frozen there, he sounded so... disappointed in her.

That night, Arvid's words were still ringing in her head. As she tried to work on Toothless' tail, she couldn't help but let her mind wonder. She wasn't being a lousy winner, she was just excited. After every lose Snotlout had dealt her, every time he'd picked on her for being small and weak, what was wrong with her finally returning the favour?

She shook her head and dunked the metal rod she'd been hammering into the water, making it sizzle violently as it cooled.

She picked up the metal rod and inspected it in the candle light, she nodded, satisfied with her work. "See this, bud? Lighter. Thinner. This will help us fly faster and turn quicker." She crouched next to Toothless and reattached the new metal rod. "I also stripped down your saddle, light as a feather," She patted the leather saddle on the dragon's back.

"But this! This is what's gonna make the most difference." She picked up Toothless's new tail from the ground. "A tail at thin as paper, and even stronger than before. We're gonna be able to cut and turn better than we ever have. Snotlout won't have a chance."

Toothless only gurgled in reply. He also wanted to beat Hookfang, but Hicca seemed to be taking things very seriously. He always thought Hicca hated it when things turned into a competition, so why was she being so serious now? She seemed so different, almost possessed. She really wanted to win this, no matter what. So what other choice did he have but to stand with her?

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, it was finally time for the last competition. The final round between Hicca and Snotlout, this would decide the winner of the Thawfest Games.

Hicca had been working on Toothless' tail all night, she should have been feeling tired, but she was just too excited to rest now. As she stood in the entrance to the arena, her father stepped closer, "Remember, Hicca... No pressure."

Hicca frowned but nodded, she and her father would both love it if Hicca won, and it was actually looking very possible that she would. But after so many years of losing and failing, he was already happy that she'd put up such a great fight. He already knew how amazing she was, he didn't need to see her win to prove that. But it wasn't enough for Hicca, she really wanted to win this.

As her father turned to take his seat, Hicca turned back to Toothless to run some last minute checks, when suddenly a yell from her uncle caught her attention.

"Snotlout!"

The teen turned quickly from his dragon to look up at his father. Hicca watch the two for a moment, her uncle didn't look happy, whilst Snotlout looked almost nervous.

"Did I ever tell you about the story of when I almost lost the Thawfest Games?" Spitelout asked as he looked down at his son. Hicca wasn't sure why, but she didn't trust the crocked smile on her uncle's Face.

Snotlout's eyes widened, "No! You never did."

"That's right... Because it never happened!" Hicca's eye widened at the sudden burst of anger directed at her cousin, while Snotlout looked truly scared. "No Jorgenson has ever come close to losing the Thawfest Games. Don't you be the first,"

Spitelout left the threat hanging in the air as he turned and made his way up to the stands. Hicca fixed him with a glare as he walked past, then she looked back towards Snotlout with concern. He looked down at his shuffling feet and pulled his arms around himself, he looked so lost, it was so strange. He didn't even look like himself anymore.

Snotlout was supposed to be loud, over-confident and strong. He wasn't supposed to look like that. In the one moment, Hicca realised a major main differences between herself and her cousin. While Hicca had risen from being an outcast to a hero, people still didn't know what to expect from her, she was still small but could also be stronger than anyone. But Snotlout had always been seen as strong, if he didn't keep up that appearance... what would everyone think of him then?

With worrying thoughts still plaguing her, Hicca stepped forward into the arena.

"Welcome to the final deciding event of this year's Thawfest Games. The Obstacle Course Race!"

Gobber took over from Mulch as he announced the course, "The race will start here in the stadium, where, after the Log-Dodge, and the Cliff-Climb, Hicca and Snotlout will get on their dragons, loop around the flagship anchored off the coast, slam through the sea-stacks maze, then head back here! The first one to pass that finish line is the winner!"

As the crowd cheered in excitement, Hicca and Snotlout gulped at the thought of everything they needed to do. They had to dodge rolling logs that were being thrown at them, climb a huge cliff face, fly all the way out to a flagship, slalom through sea stacks and somehow make it back to the to the arena before the other?

This really would be the final tournament.

As Snotlout tried to prepare himself, Hicca stepped closer, "Hey... uh... can I talk to you for a second?"

"No!" Snotlout snapped, he turned back and continued stretching... what kind of stretching it was supposed to be however, Hicca had no idea.

Hicca sighed but decided to follow him, "Okay... uh... I just wanted to say, have a good race and... may the best Viking win."

She reached forward to shake his hand, but he only turned with a snarl, "Oh, he will. Don't you worry your scrawny-little shelf about that. See you at the finish line, Hicca. Or, maybe I won't."

Hicca rolled her eyes as Snotlout stomped off towards the starting line, "Alright, I tried. If that's how you want it."

Snotlout turned one more time, "That's _exactly_ how I want it!"

Hicca shook her head, she actually started to feel bad for her cousin for a moment there. Oh well, if he wanted a challenge, so be it.

As Snotlout and Hicca stepped up to the line, their dragons were taken up to the top of the cliff overlooking the arena, Hookfang was able to fly up there, but Toothless had to go round the long way. Because of that, it took a little longer for the course to be prepared, but that just gave Hicca more time to plan out her course of action.

"Vikings and dragons! Take you positions!" Hicca and Snotlout stood ready, facing the first challenge.

"On you mark... Get set..." They knelt into the starting positions, glaring at each other one last time. "... and... Go!"

The bucket clanged loudly.

Hicca and Snotlout shot off from the starting line, and already the male was showing his desperation, his hand shooting out to shove Hicca to the side. As she fell to the floor, he rushed forward and quickly started climbing the wooden steps.

As soon as he stepped foot on the wooden ramp, the adult Vikings at the top started hurling logs down at him. Snotlout jump over the first log and easily dodged the second, he flipped over the third and rushed to the top, quickly making it to the foot of the cliff. Thankfully Hicca had been able to find her feet and quickly rushed after him.

As he started climbing the cliff face, Hicca reached the bottom of the wooden ramp. Thanks to her smaller size, she was able to quickly dodge around and under the tumbling logs, soon making it to the top of the ramp. As she touched the stone wall, Snotlout was already more than half-way up. But then the rocks came tumbling down.

Similar to log dodge, two adults stood at the top of the cliff and hurled rocks down at the two teens, and since Snotlout was first, they focused their attention of him. At first Snotlout so focused on climbing he didn't notice the rocks, that soon changed when one collided with his face. He shook his head, a little dazed from the impact, but thankfully he kept his strong grip on the cliff wall. He was the first to make it to the top, sparing Hicca a wave before he climbed onto Hookfang's back and took off.

When Hicca was half way up the cliff, the rocks started tumbling towards her. But unlike Snotlout she'd been expecting them, quickly letting one of her hands go to avoid it getting crushed. But as she dodged another rock, her footing slipped.

"She's falling!"

The crowd gasped as Hicca started sliding back down the cliff, her fingers and toes scraping against the rock face. Thank god one of her limbs was metal. She dug her prosthetic into the wall, catching it in the cracks and quickly slowing her decent. The crowd let out a cheer as Hicca quickly began climbing the wall again, she couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

Toothless looked over the edge and cooed worriedly for his rider, after a little while Hicca finally made it to the top without further incident. She rushed over to him and climbed onto the saddle, "Okay, bud. We've got a lot of ground to make up. Let's go!"

Toothless gave a powerful beat of his wings and took off like an arrow from a crossbow, there was no doubt that he was the fastest dragon on the island. As they swooped through a hole in the sea stacks, Hicca finally spotted Snotlout and Hookfang up ahead, she pressed herself closer to his saddle to reduce their drag and speed them up even more as Toothless beat his wings rapidly.

"She's closing in on Snotlout!" Gobber said excitedly, the crowd all impressed but the dragon's speed.

But Hookfang was still ahead of them as he and Snotlout spun around the Hooligan flagship, they shot past Hicca and Toothless in the opposite direction, almost hitting them with the Nightmare's wide wings. Snotlout gave a laugh while Hicca threw him another glare.

As Toothless rounded the flag ship, they had a dead straight shot to catch up to Snotlout. "Okay. Let's see what this new tail can really do," Hicca looked down at the Nightfury as the two shared a grin. It was finally time for their secret weapon.

Hicca flicked her metal leg back to open the new tail fully, she was pushed back in the saddle to lie almost completely flat against Toothless. The effect was immediate.

They had almost no drag at all now, and the new tail was helping the cut through the air like a knife.

The crowd watched with awe as Toothless went from the speed of an arrow, to the speed of lightning. Mulch and Bucket watched from the high announcer stand, they had a perfect view of Toothless' sudden rocket power.

"Did ya see that, Bucket? That sudden bust of speed!"

It was just unfortunately that they couldn't stay at full speed for long.

As the two dragons entered the Sea Stack Slalom, they were forced into a single file, with Hookfang still in the lead. His larger body blocking Toothless' path, while Snotlout directed him to prevent the Nightfury from getting through.

"Move over!" Hicca yelled angrily.

Snotlout rolled his eyes with a sarcastic response, "Yeah, sure!"

At the first chance she got, Hicca push Toothless forward to finally gain some more ground on Hookfang. But almost as soon as they drew neck and neck with the Nightmare, they were forced together when the path suddenly narrowed, their wings and tails tangling together as they bounced off the sea stacks.

Snotlout and Hicca tried to get their dragons apart while also trying to steer around the rocks pillars, they were doing well so far, until a large stack appeared right in front of them. Snotlout gave a scream as he forced Hookfang forward, spinning to try and detach him from Toothless, thankfully it succeeded and the Nightmare was back on track. But Toothless had swerved in the opposite direction, on the other side of the sea stack they couldn't turn back and instead had to carry on following the wall of sea stack.

"Hicca has to go the long way round!" Arvid cried worriedly, they all watched from the arena as the black blur of a dragon was now hidden by the rock walls.

Hicca quickly pulled herself together and pushed Toothless forward again, they would waste far too much time turning back now, so instead the Nightfury flapped his wings hard until they finally cleared the sea stacks. From high over the cliffs they spotted Hookfang making a bee line to the academy, they had to twice as much ground to cover but Hicca wasn't about to give up now.

Toothless dived forward and tucked his win in close, flying faster than they'd ever flew before, they were about to finish this. In almost no time at all they'd caught up to the Nightmare, Snotlout's head spinning round worriedly to spot them. But there was nothing he could do, Hookfang was already going as fast as he could, but there was no way he could beat a Nightfury.

As Hicca and Toothless past them, it all seemed to hit Snotlout at once. Hicca looked over to throw a cocky gin, but the expression she saw on her cousins face, was one of fear.

"No... I can't lose! I can't lose! I can't lose..."

I looked as though Snotlout's who world was crashing down around him, as if loosing the Thawfest Games would kill him. Hicca finally snapped out of her competitive mind frame. What was she even doing? She didn't care about the games, she didn't even like competition, had the thought of beating Snotlout really blinded her so much?

After so many years, she and her father had stopped worrying so much about the Thawfest Games, she didn't need to win to know for him to know how amazing she was. But to Snotlout and his father, the games were everything to them.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Hicca glanced once more at Snotlout before flicking her prosthetic back, causing Toothless' tail to flutter inwards.

With the sudden change in his form, Toothless was forced to bank to the side. Hicca managed to steer them through the cliffs, but then allowed the tail to close almost completely. Toothless spun over the rocks and dropped down into the forest, at the last moment Hicca opened the tail to let them land safely, but from afar it looked convincing.

The crowd all gasped at the sight of Hicca and Toothless apparently crashing into the tree line, but their excitement grew as Snotlout closed in on the finish line. As the Nightmare entered the arena, Hookfang blew out a plume of fire, setting the banner alight with a bright orange and red flame.

"And Snotlout is the winner of the Thawfest Games!"

The whole crowd cheered and clapped, but none did so as loudly as Spitelout. But on the back of Hookfang, Snotlout was still in shock.

"We did it... We did it! We did it! Of course we did it!"

A few seconds later, Hicca and Toothless flew in through the entrance, landing next to Hookfang as their riders dismounted.

"Nice flying, Snotlout," Hicca said with a smile.

Snotlout gave a chuckle, "Yeah, you put up a good fight..." Hicca looked down in surprise as her cousin held out his hand form her to shake, but she wasn't that surprised when he suddenly pulled his hand out of her grasp. "But not good enough."

Hicca rolled her eyes but then gave a smile, it was nice to see her cousin was back to normal, it was much better that seeing him scared and worried. The two of them walked up to Stoick on the podium, standing proudly as he gave a final announcement to the crowd.

"It's been a spectacular Thawfest Games. Perhaps the best ever. These two young Vikings have put on quite a show. But alas, there can be only one champion." Two Vikings from the stands gave a drum roll, Hicca wasn't sure why though, it was obvious who had won. "The Thawfest dynasty continues. The winner, and still champion... Snotlout!"

Snotlout gave a loud cry and raised his fists to the sky, the crowd clapped and cheered for him again as Stoick placed the medal around his neck.

Hicca stepped down from the podium, smiling as Snotlout ran around the arena wildly, practically giddy with happiness. But suddenly a strong fist hit her shoulder. She gave a cry and clutched her injury, whirling round to spot Arvid behind her. "Ow! What?"

"I know what you did," Arvid said simply with a knowing smile.

Hicca shrugged, "Yeah, I lost. As usual."

"No, You threw the race."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about, Arvid." Hicca's eyes shifted nervously from side to side, "Snotlout was just the better Viking today."

Arvid shook his head, "No, Hicca. No one was a better Viking than you today."

Before Hicca could react, Arvid gripped her shoulder and pulled her forward, crashing his lips to hers. Hicca's head spun as she almost forgot how to breath, how did Arvid's kisses always do that to her. When Arvid pulled back he had a cheeky smile on his face, if this was the consolation prize for coming second, Hicca was willing to throw the race every year.

 _Yep. Second again. Some things never change, but I guess some things are more important than winning. Like being a good friend. Even if the friend is... that guy._

/LINE BREAK/

End of episode 12.

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 **Chapter 12 finally done :) Really liking this episode, some great Snotlout moments, and even some interesting character development and family interaction, plus it's the return of David Tennant as the voice of Spitelout (10th Doctor Who) :) Let me know what you all think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	13. When Lightning Strikes

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 13 finally here, another fun episode :) Really great Hicca/Hiccup scenes to write :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 13**

 **When Lightning Strikes**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _Living with dragons has its ups... and its down. You need to stay calm and keep a clear head. Not always easy with Vikings. Bu, in our own way, we're very reasonable._

Lately, the Viking village on the isle of Berk had been experiencing a new kind of dragon problem. They weren't attacking again or anything like that, but with the weather turning warmer for a change, most of the dragons had taken to relaxing on peoples roofs. Unfortunately, while Viking buildings stood up fine against harsh weather conditions, most ended up collapsing under the weight of the large winged reptiles.

Stoick soon realised they had to do something about it, otherwise all the roofs in the village would need repairing. So he asked Hicca to do something. The dragons were her responsibility, and she was surely smart enough to come up with a solution. It took her a while to come up with an idea, but after some sketching and planning, she showed her idea to Gobber.

"More supports?" She asked after looking over the designs.

Gobber gave a shrug, "Well, they _are_ dragons."

Hicca nodded and added more attachments to her drawings. Her idea was a simple one, making large stands out of metal, with thick bars for the dragons to sit on. The metal would also get warm in the sunlight, giving the dragons a warm place to rest.

A couple of days later, with the help of the other teens, most of the other villagers, and the dragons, several Dragon Perch were finished and scattered throughout the village. Then they had to put it to the test. Arvid climbed onto Stormfly's back flew her above one of the perches, slowly directing her down onto the metal structure.

The Nadder gave a worried chirp as she slowly approached the metal structure. "It's okay, girl. Just take it easy."

Slowly the Nadder descended onto the metal beam, clutching the beam in her talons and gently folding her wings in. Thankfully, the perch took her weight without even a creak or groan.

"Yes! It worked!" Hicca cried out as more and more dragons started landing on the perches, they all seemed to be holding strong, even the Terrible Terrors were able to land and rest on the smaller metal struts near the top.

But while the other where happy their roofs weren't going to be destroyed anymore, the twins looked up with a frown.

"So... we built these things so stuff _wouldn't_ break?" Tuffnut asked glaring down at his hammer.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes, "I don't understand you people."

While the twins grumbled at the others, Hicca looked up at the structures she designed, she was actually very pleased wither herself.

 _But when a problem is caused by something Vikings don't understand, they lose all sense of reason. And that can become very dangerous._

That night, Gobber came over to the chief's house to celebrate the success of the Dragon Perches. The three of them sat at the table and clanked their mugs together, while Toothless ate from his own fish basin.

"Perches for dragons! Some of your best work." Stoick cheered as he took a large swig of his tankard, only for his face to scrunch up as he glared into the mug. "Although we may need to move the one over the well."

Just as Hicca was about to take a sip of her own mug, Stoick quickly put his hand over the top. Thankfully, Hicca was too excited to notice. "And the perches are just the beginning, we can build landing areas for them, maybe even stables in the cave underneath the village and-"

"Easy, Hicca. Remember, Berk is still for people," Stoick said to calm her down. Just as the words left his mouth, a distant rumble sounded. But the three ignored it, rumbling was not a strange nois when dragons were concerned.

"Vikings before dragons," Gobber agreed. Toothless perked his ears up at the blacksmith's last comment, he gave an annoyed growl. "Yeah, I said it. Deal with it." He gave the dragon a defiant look, Toothless simply rolled his eyes in return.

Just as Hicca gave a small giggle, another louder rumble sounded. But this time, it didn't sound like the usual Gronckles playing. It was louder, and deeper, like thunder but without the added pitter-patter of rain drops.

Toothless quickly ran upstairs as the other three rose from the table, Hicca followed her father outside. The sight that greeted them outside was one Hicca had never seen before.

As it turned out, the sound really had been thunder, but although there was no rain, dark clouds gathered overhead, and lightning struck down from them. The light kept striking the village, Hicca had never seen so much lightning before, even in the storms they'd had before in the harsh winters, the lightning had never attacked like this before.

"The lightning is hitting everywhere," She said watching the lightning rain down.

Stoick frowned at the sky, "It usually doesn't strike here in the village."

"Thor must be angry," Gobber took a step back with a worried look. "The only other time I can remember lightning ever striking Berk-"

Gobber and Stoick shared a look, "Barnstat."

Hicca turned to look at the two of them with a questioning look, "Barn-who?"

"Jürgen Barnstat, drifter, sailed into town," Stoick explained. "He was stealing from widows and old men."

"To punish him, Thor gave him a lightning bolt right to his helmet when he was fixing the mast on his ship to make his escape." Gobber pointed behind him inside the house, on the wall hung a scorched helmet. Hicca was about why her father had kept the helmet, but then again it was only natural for the chief to keep the helmets of traitors and thieves as trophies.

Stoick spoke up again, "By the time Thor was finished with him, our whole fleet was on fire!"

"We shipped him off the island and Thor hasn't hit the village since."

"Threw him of the island? Pretty harsh," Hicca muttered to herself.

AS the words left her mouth, another bolt of lightning struck, this time setting alight one of the nearby houses. As more lightning crashed, more fires erupted.

Stoick sprang into chief mode and began calling out orders, "Gobber, organize a bucket brigade. I'm going up to the great hall!"

Toothless rushed down the stairs and ran after Hicca as she followed Stoick and Gobber outside. More lightning set fire to the several houses in the village, this was getting worse by the second. Arvid and some of the other teens were already helping out where they could, but just as Hicca was about to climb onto Toothless's back, the Nightfury reared back with a roar.

He turned and ran as fast as he could, leaving Hicca standing there with a startled look on her face, she quickly ran after him. She glanced at the other Vikings in the village, while most of the past buckets back and forth to put out the fires, her father picked up an entire water basin and threw it over a nearby house, Hookfang and Meatlug also flew in to help.

"I got to find Toothless," Hicca took off into a run, passing the twins on her way past the village. For some reason Ruffnut and Tuffnut thought it was fine to just sit back and watch the village burn.

"Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Tuffnut cheered.

Ruffnut nodded, "I always liked Thor."

Hicca eventual spotted Arvid and waved him down, the Nadder landed next to her with a thud, "I-I need your help. I need to find Toothless!"

Arvid nodded and reached down to her, "I just saw him by the Great Hall." He pulled Hicca up onto the saddle and pushed Stormfly forward into the air.

As the villagers finally started to get the fire under control, Stoick carried the injured to the Great Hall and gathered the other villagers.

"Don't worry. You're gonna be alright," the chief called out to them.

"It's striking throughout the entire village. It's like we're under siege!" Mulch cried out.

Bucket covered his head with his hands, "I've never seen Thor this angry!"

Stormfly swooped in close while Hicca and Arvid kept an eye out for the Nightfury. Finally they spotted him and landed in the hill near the great hall, looking up as Toothless as he clung to one of the perches.

"Toothless!" Hicca yelled out to him, for once he actually seemed scared. Lightning flashed close to him again, making him jump.

"Did you see that?" A gravelled voice sounded. Hicca looked over and spotted Mildew a little distance away, did he really have to show up now of all times? Things were already bad enough.

She followed his line of sight back to Toothless, watching him worriedly as he was forced to jump from perch to perch. The lightning struck again and again, always one step behind the midnight dragon.

"Look! The lightning is following him!" someone called out, for some strange reason it seemed like they were right. It seemed like the lightning was chasing Toothless, and he was scared.

"Toothless!" Hicca yelled out to her dragon. She ran over to where he landed and wrapped her arms around him, stroking his frills comfortingly.

"Don't you understand?" Mildew's voice rang out again. "Thor is made at all of us! And I'll tell you why. Because of him!" The old man jabbed his staff towards Toothless. "As you know, the Night Fury is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself! We've let him live among us and now we will all pay the price!"

The longer and louder Mildew spoke, the more it stirred up the crowd. Even after all the times he complained and shouted, he was still able to get the people on his side somehow, but all the while, Hicca just glared at him.

"Well, it did seem as though the lightning struck right at the dragon." One of the villagers pointed out, muttering starting to spread over the crowd.

And of course Mildew continued to egg them on, "Yes! Right at the dragon! And a lightning storm the likes of which we've never had! There is but one thing for us to do: banish the Night Fury! It's the only way!"

Stoick cast a look of concern over the people while Hicca watched everyone worriedly, their concerned muttering was never a good sign.

"Thor is angry at us because of the Night Fury. You all saw it!" Mildew continued.

"What!? No! This is ridiculous!" Hicca stood in front of Toothless to defend him.

But Mildew ignored her, "If we don't act now... well... need I remind you of... Barnstat!"

Hicca threw her father a pleading look, if they wouldn't listen to her, hopefully the villagers would listen to their chief. Stoick stepped forward, "You're right, all of you! Thor is angry, but I don't believe he's angry at Toothless."

The auburn haired girl breathed a sigh of relief and spoke up again, "That's right! Have you all forgotten what Toothless has done for this village!?"

Mildew rolled his eyes at her, "Well, then who do you suppose he's angry at?"

Stoick decided it was time to cut the argument short, before it grew even more out of hand, "I don't presume to know Thor's mind, Mildew. But we will find a way to soothe his anger."

Thankfully his words calmed the crowd, at least for now. But that was minor compared to their next problem, now they somehow had to calm a god.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning was only slightly better compared to the night before. Actually, you couldn't really tell it was morning. The clouds were still so dark and thick overhead, only the smallest steams of light could break through.

The teens and their dragons met in the village plaza, almost all of them were looking at the sky as another distant rumble rolled past.

"Another storm is coming," Hicca muttered to herself, they had to think of something before tonight otherwise even more houses would be burnt, not to mention the other villagers would start to blame Toothless again.

"Thor tore a hole in the Great Hall. Maybe he's hungry? I know I am," Tuffnut spoke up.

Hicca turned to the others, "We need to make Thor happy. But what do you get the God of Thunder and Lightning?"

"In the past, I know Thor's enjoyed a sacrifice or two," Fishlegs suggested.

Ruffnut quickly jab her thumb towards her brother, "Let's sacrifice Tuffnut!"

"Okay, what time should I be there? There better be fire involved."

Hicca frowned at him, was he really okay with that? "Nobody's gonna be sacrificed!"

"Not yet, anyway," Snotlout muttered.

"I had an aunt who was cursed by Odin once. She had to pay tribute to him by sailing to the end of the Earth," Arvid spoke up with a shrug. That would be a lot simpler than a human sacrifice.

"Did it work?"

Arvid shook his head, "I don't know. I guess she couldn't find it, because she kept showing up from the opposite direction."

"If I were Thor, I would want a giant statue," Snotlout said loudly. "Of myself, Snotlout, as Thor!" He stood on Hookfang's head as the dragon lifted him up into the air, he struck a pose, trying to look powerful.

Arvid frowned up at him, "You do know we're trying to make him happy?"

"Exactly!" Snotlout brought him arms closer and kissed his bulging biceps.

"I think I just threw up in my mouth," Arvid grumbled with a grimace.

Hicca thought for a moment, "Actually, that's not a bad idea."

"It's not an idea, it's a reflex."

"What? No! I-I mean the statue."

Arvid's shoulders lurched as he quickly covered his mouth, Hicca frowned at him, he was really stretching out his one joke. "No! Not Snotlout! Thor!" Hicca ignored the glare her cousin shot at her.

"Hmm... Berk has never given Thor a statue," Fishlegs thought aloud.

"Well, the it's high time we did!" Hicca said with a nod, they needed to get started if they wanted to finish by tonight.

After Hicca quickly drew up some sketches, she divided the statue in to sections, and gave each of the other teens a section to work on. Snotlout worked on the feet and legs, Fishlegs the lower body, Arvid worked on the upper body, the twins handled the arms, and Hicca herself over saw everyone else while working on the head.

Having the most blacksmithing experience, Hicca finished ahead of the other and when to check on them. They were actually doing well, aside from the twins wanting to hurt each other instead, and Snotlout forgetting which way knees bent. She looked up at the sky again, watching with a worried look as lightning flashed behind the clouds.

"Okay, guys, we better start welding these pieces together," Hicca looked over the other's work. So far they had two backwards legs, a pair of metal shorts with a lightning belt buckle, a large sheet of metal with Nadder spikes in it, and two metal cylinders along with two dented helmets.

"Yeah. I really think Thor's gonna like this."

Finally after a few more hours, the statue was finally finished. They quickly covered it in a large sheet and had the dragons carry it to the hill near the chief's house, soon a large crowd had gathered, including the chief. He looked at Hicca in question, but she just gave him a quick reassuring smile.

As the crowd grew and curious murmurs began, Hicca took a deep breath and stepped forward in front of the covered statue.

"Attention! Attention everyone! Okay, so, i know we're not exactly Thor's favourite people right now, but I am confident that this beautiful statue will go a long way towards getting us back in his good graces!" Everyone's face seemed to light up as Hicca spoke, she just hopped this really worked. "So, without further ado..."

Hicca grasped the ends of the sheet and with Toothless's help, she uncovered the statue. It stood taller than any of the houses in the village, the metal polished and shiny. It stood tall and proud, it's hammer raised high and it's other hand held forward like a guardian.

The crowd gasped and smiled at the shining statue, it truly looked magnificent. Stoick turned to the crowd with a large smile, "Well done! Thor will appreciate this tribute, and will smile upon us once again!"

The crowd cheered again, slowly they all began to return home, happy that their homes would be safe again. But as the crowd dispersed, Mildew stood firm. "You really think this is enough to appease the mighty Thor, while you allow a Night Furry in your midst!? You're fools! All of ya!"

Thankfully, the rest of the crowd had gone home, it was just Hicca, the teens and her father left standing by the statue. But Hicca frowned an looked up at the statue again, would this really be enough for a mighty god?

That night the thunder and lightning raged again. Gobber, Stoick and Hicca stood at the entrance to the chief's house and watched the sky worriedly.

"Unbelievable. There's even more lightning than last time," Hicca said with a frown.

Gobber scratched his head, "I don't understand. We gave Thor a giant statue!"

Stoick turned and made his way back inside as Gobber firmly shut door, "IT was a gallant effort, Hicca, but it looks as though this is not what Thor wanted."

Stoick sat heavily in his chair while Hicca stood and thought, there had to be something else they could do. She was pulled out of her thought when Toothless gave a gurgle behind her, she turned to see Gobber taking a couple of steps back from the dark dragon.

"Gobber, what are you doing?"

The blacksmith's eyes shifted nervously, "Hey, I love Toothless, I'm just erring on the side of caution."

The dragon whined sadly and looked up at Hicca, "Hey, don't worry, bud. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. No matter what some people think!" She shot Gobber a glare as he shuffled awkwardly. She wasn't going to let Toothless be blamed for this, there had to be something she could do.

That night the lightning lit up the sky in jagged beams, striking more houses and setting them alight. While the twins sat atop their house and admired the light show, others rushed towards the statue, maybe hopping for a sign from the god himself. But instead of something helpful, the lightning became even fiercer, giving the statue an ominous glow. Suddenly, a bolt hit the statues hammer, the lightning streaked through the metal being and shot out from his hand. The crowd gasped in horror as the statue shot a bolt of lightning towards another house, engulfing it in flames.

"That's what Thor thinks of the statue! I told you what he wants, and we haven't given it to him! Until we rid this island of that Night Fury, Thor's fire will continue to rain down upon us!" The people raised their fists and roared in agreement, they wanted this to end, and they were willing to do anything to protect their village. Even if it meant getting rid of Toothless.

Inside the Haddock house, they had no idea of the oncoming horde. Gobber leaned against the wall listening to the lightning rumble, Stoick paced back and forth in thought, while Hicca and Toothless sat by the fire as she ran her hands over his frills.

A though buzzed in her head, so she looked up as her father stepped closer. "You... You don't really think Thor is angry because of Toothless, do you?"

Stoick gave a small smile and shook his head, "Of course I don't."

Suddenly a pounding on the door interrupted them. Mildew gravelled voice sounded from the other side, "Open up, Stoick! We've come for the Night Fury!"

"But I'm afraid they do." Stoick stood between Hicca and the front door protectively, "Get Toothless to a safe place, I'll try to reason with them."

Hicca quickly stood from the floor and grabbed her father's arm, trying to stop him, but he just place a large hand on her shoulder. "Just go!"

Hicca frowned but nodded as she looked at the floor. Gobber gave Toothless and pat on the head before the girl and her dragon ran upstairs, she jumped into his back and the two leapt out of her bedroom window. Hicca quickly dismounted peaked around the side of her house, seeing the angry mob just outside the front door she quickly darted back behind the building. Toothless gave a quiet murmur, Hicca turned and patted him on the head, "Don't worry, bud. It's you and me."

With that the two took off, they couldn't risk being seen from the air, so they instead ran along the tree-line at the edge of village.

/LINE BREAK/

Meanwhile, Stoick and Gobber finally stepped out of the house to face the crowd.

"Give up the dragon, Stoick! Look at your people. We've had enough!" Mildew shouted angrily.

"You're too late. He's gone," Stoick answered simply.

"Stoick's already sent 'im off the island," Gobber added.

More lightning crackled in the air, Mildew frowned and banged his staff on the ground. "Thor says otherwise. The dragon must still be on the island. Find the Night Furry! Go!" Mildew directed the villagers to find the dragon.

Thankfully they didn't immediately check the edge of the village, where Arvid and Hicca secretly met. The blond male peeked behind a house as the shouting villagers past by, "We can hide Toothless in the cove for now."

Hicca shook her head, almost everyone knew about Hicca and Toothless's secret cove, it would be far to obvious to hide there. "No, they'll just find him. We have to leave."

Arvid spun to look at her, "We?"

"He can't make it on his own. And I wouldn't want him to. I'm going with him, Arvid." Hicca stood firm as she ran her hands over Toothless's neck.

"But you'll come back, right?" Arvid was starting to get worried.

She nodded, "Yeah, eventually. When they all realize this didn't happen because of Toothless."

The both jumped as they heard the villagers getting closer. "You better go," Arvid said quickly.

Hicca gave Arvid a quick smile, then she turned and jumped onto Toothless's back. The two took off and flew away from the village and towards the others side of the island.

Soon after, a small group of villagers lead by Mildew found Arvid. "Where's the girl!? And more importantly, where's the dragon!?"

Arvid glared at the old man as Stormfly hissed behind him, "I don't know, Mildew. But you got your wish, Hicca and Toothless are gone."

Mildew's eyes twitched in anger, "Oh, bah! Find the Night Fury! All of you!" With that Mildew and the others turned back into the village.

Arvid glance back at the sky, but he could no longer see the dark shape amongst the grey clouds.

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca flew Toothless low over forest, ready to land and hind if need be. Mildew's search party was expanding out from the village, if they weren't careful they would be easily be spotted and most likely caught. They landed on a small outcrop and quietly watched from above as some people pass by below them, the villagers walked in a long line, and unfortunately it didn't seem like there was an easy way around them. Toothless noticed this and gurgled up at Hicca, she nodded and directed him upwards into the clouds, they would just have to go over them.

In the thick clouds, Hicca gripped the reins tightly. Flying through lightning clouds was insanely dangerous, but they didn't have much other choice if they didn't want to be spotted. At first things seemed to be going alright, with the occasional crackle and rumble around them.

But then a bolt shot down mere inches in front of them, Hicca and Toothless both pulled back, but another bolt struck close to them again mere second later. Hicca let out a scream and pushed Toothless down through the clouds, the lightning was getting way too close for comfort. Suddenly another lightning bolt struck, it hit Toothless's fake tail and destroyed it in an instant.

Toothless let out a roar in pain, but the situation only got worse from there. Without his tail, Toothless started to fall, smoke trailing from where his tail used to be. Down in the village everyone could seen the large black mass falling from the clouds, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake like some kind of commit.

The Night Fury spread her wings wide to try and slow their decent, but without a way to steer, they just ended up spiralling. They hit the tree line, bouncing from the branches, and hitting the ground hard. Toothless slowly stood and shook himself free from the dizziness, he looked around and found Hicca stuck in a bush, he gripped her jacket in his mouth and pulled her free with a short tug.

"Whoa... You okay, bud?" Hicca shakily stood, brushing the dirt from her clothes and pulling the leaves free from her long hair. Toothless gave a gurgle and pulled his tail round to show her, the fabric tail had been burnt away completely, leaving just the metal barbs and gears behind. The ends of the barbs were still glowing orange as Hicca stepped closer, she knelt down and gently reach out to touch the crocked bars but quickly pulled her hand back with a hiss, "That's where the lightning hit..."

She looked closer wondering why the lightning had targeted them, the longer she stared at the singed metal, the more the wheels in her head started to turn. The sound of lightning made her look up, from here they could see the village across the ravine, the light crackled and danced around the village. It struck each of the Dragon Perches and coursed through the statue of Thor, but it never hit the trees surrounding the village, or even the houses themselves.

It was only striking the metal structures. "The metal? I wonder..."

But before she could dwell on it further, a whooshing sound rushed past her. Two bola's flew past her and wrapped tightly around Toothless, binding his wings to his body.

"Secure the dragon!" Mildew shouted as he and the other villagers rushed forward.

Hicca tried to reach out to him, "Toothless! No! Leave him alone!" But one of the men grabbed her and dragged her away from the dragon.

"Don't try and stop us, you'll only make it worse for your precious dragon," Mildew told her as three of the villagers held Toothless down. Of course Toothless struggled against the villagers, but he wasn't fighting at full force, he would never want to hurt them. Hicca was held back and forced to watch as he was bundled onto a cart, tied down with iron bars and a muzzle bound tightly around his maw, it was all too familiar from the last time the village had captured Toothless.

Hicca screamed out to try and stop them, but she was far too small and weak to do anything. She couldn't even keep up with the cart as the villagers dragged Toothless away.

She was left shaking and crying in the forest as her best friend was dragged away.

/LINE BREAK/

The villagers took Toothless down to the docks, ready to shove the dragon out to sea, hoping it finally end the lightning storms attacking their village from the sky.

But Stoick and Gobber rushed forward to block their path, "I know you're afraid. But this isn't how we do things on Berk! These dragons are not the beasts we once thought they were. They're part of us now." Stoick held out his hands to the people, trying to reason with them.

Mildew jabbed his staff at Toothless, "Not this one! Not anymore!" There was almost a smile on the old man's face, he was finally getting rid of the dragon.

"Release the dragon, Mildew!" The chief demanded.

Mildew gave a groan in annoyance, "Open your eyes, Stoick. It's the only solution and you know it. IT worked with Barnstat and it'll work with Toothless."

Stoick couldn't think of anything else to say, he couldn't forcibly stop his own people, but they were too far past listening.

Near the Forge, Hicca finally made it back to the village, out of breath from the run. Her eyes scanned the room searching for something in particular, weapons lining the wall but a normal sword or hammer wouldn't do. Her mind had been whirling as she ran, and now she had a plane, if it worked than the village finally see the truth.

Hicca whirled round and finally spotted an ornamental spear in the corner, it was dull and a little rusted, but it would work for what she had planned.

She was just about to leave when the other teens rushed over. "Hicca! They've got Toothless! They're about to float him off to sea."

"I know. Why do you think I have this?" She held the spear up to show them.

"Oh, tough one. How many guesses do we get? Five?"

Hicca just rolled her eyes at Tuffnut's words. "Oookay... Arvid, fly me to the docks!"

Arvid nodded and ran over to Stormfly, he jumped onto the saddle and pull Hicca up, the two took off and quickly headed for the docks

/LINE BREAK/

At the docks Stoick was still trying to hold off the villagers, but he had now given up on words. "If you want to get to that dragon, you're gonna have to go through us!" Stoick drew his sword while Gobber raised his mallet hand. If words would no longer work, then maybe force was the only way after all.

The villagers all knew how strong their chief was, but they also believed sending away the Night Fury would save their homes. There was a mix of fear and anger in all of tthem.

Suddenly, two figures pushed their way through the crowd. Stoick and Gobber braced themselves, but the two turned their backs on the chief and the blacksmith, instead facing the crowd with their fists clenched. Stoick's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the backs of Bucket and Mulch, then again, it wasn't really that much of a surprise considering.

Bucket and Mulch were two of the more gentle Vikings in the village, simple fisherman who had both been helped greatly by Hicca and her dragons, both of them even had a soft spot for the young girl. Stoick's surprise quickly fell back into his fierce look as the four of them faced the rest of the village, "Thank you, lads."

"I-If we're choosing sides, Mulch... uh... there's more over there. Lots more."

"We stand with the chief, Bucket."

But just when it seemed like the two sides were about to meet in a battle, a cry came from above, and a blue Deadly Nadder swooped between the two sides.

"Stop!"

Everyone turned as the Nadder looped around and landed heavily on the docks between the two sides, Hicca jumped down from the saddle, still clutching the spear tightly. "You could get rid of Toothless, you could throw him off the edge of the world, but it's not going to stop this lightning from destroying Berk."

Hicca held the spear higher, thunder and lightning making her jump, "It's the metal. The lightning is hitting the metal! Just think about it. We never had a lightning storm like this until we put up those perches, that statue, right? They're all made of metal!"

But Mildew tried to brush her off, "Bah! You ever heard of anything so insane!?"

As the crowd started to get riled up again, Hicca ran to the end of the dock where Toothless was still bound, holding up his tail for the other to see. The metal was still slightly warm to the tough, "You see? This is where the lightning struck Toothless. On this connecting rod... this _metal_ connecting rod!"

But there were still cautions murmurs from the crowd, how could a simple material they used every day of their lives be responsible for a lightning attack? Hicca decided to put the final part of her plan into action, "Look, if you don't believe me, I can prove it!"

She ran back around towards Arvid, "Fly me up."

All of the Vikings on the dock watched as Arvid pulled Hicca up onto the dragon, he fly her up towards the mast of the ship, the same ship they'd been planning to sail Toothless away on. Hicca carefully stepped out onto the wooden beam holding up the sail, grabbing the mast to keep her balance.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" He asked her.

She gave a small chuckle, "Sure? Uh, that's a strong word. It's really more of a... hunch." She smiled at him while Arvid just looked worriedly, "I'll be fine. Go."

Arvid did as he was asked and pulled Stormfly away from the ship, the Nadder giving a small chirp in response.

Gobber and Stoick watched from bellow, "Oh, boy, here she goes again..."

The chief shook his head, "She doesn't make it easy."

Hicca held onto the mast as she looked down at her father and the others, "You'll all see for yourself!" She winced as another bout of thunder boomed loudly, sounding like it was right behind her. "When I attach this metal rod to the top of the mast, the lightning will be drawn to-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence.

A stream of light suddenly hit the spear she held, coursing through the shaft and directly into her. She vaguely heard her father yelling, but for the most part she just felt like thousands of needles were jabbing into her skin like fire ants.

The lightning rushed through her whole, from her raised hand all the way down to her metal leg. The bolt actually didn't last long, but the feeling was intense and seemed to last for years.

Finally it let her go.

All of the energy left her, her grip slipping from the mast as her body went limp. She fell from the mast and down in to the chilly water bellow, but even the shock of the cold sea didn't wake her. The others could only watch for a moment, frozen with shock and horror as to what had just happened to the young girl.

But Toothless reacted instantly, almost as soon as he saw his human fall, he stopped holding back. He thrust his wings out and broke the bars holding him down, clawing away the muzzle and ropes, a burst of adrenalin rushing through him. Without a second though, he shot past Gobber and Stoick and dove into the water after her, beating his wings as if he was back in the air, diving down deeper and deeper after Hicca.

Stoick, Gobber and the others scanned the dark water, trying to spot either the girl or her dragon. As the seconds tick by, the tension only grew. A splash further down the dock drew Stoick attention, he turned to see Toothless backing out of the water, Hicca's water logged leather jacket gripped tightly in his teeth. He pulled Hicca onto the dock and whined worriedly as she lay unmoving.

"Hicca..." Stoick's mind spun with the worst possible thoughts, he rushed over and pulled her into his large arms. He touched her cold cheek and felt for any breathing, it was shallow, but it was there. Stoick breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her in closer. Gobber was also relieved to see the girl was alright, and he was also happy that Hicca had once again proven herself to be right.

The other Vikings had also seen it too. The lightning had hit the metal spear, and Hicca in the process, just as she said it would. As Stoick carried the girl back home, he ordered the others to tear down the dragon perches.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning, the clouds had cleared and the whole village seemed brighter. Hicca awoke slowly, her head still spinning slightly. She shakily sat up in bed and held her pounding head in one hand, Toothless slowly approached and gurgled softly. She gave him a soft smile, "Toothless. What happened, bud?" She stroked his jaw comfortingly.

A sudden though formed in Hicca's head, and she quickly pulled back the sheets and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She tapped her metal foot on the floor, then did the same to her real one, tilting it back and forth. "At least I didn't lose another one," she said with a slight chuckle.

A hurried stomping sounded from the stairs, "Hicca! You're alright!" Stoick and Gobber hurried up the stairs, her father lifting her off the bed as if she weighed nothing. "You took a lightning bolt to the head," He told her, sounding astonished as he put her back on the ground and patted her head, ruffling her long hair as he did so.

"Just like Barnstat," Gobber pointed out. "Except we won't be throwing you off the island."

"So everyone knows Thor wasn't mad at Toothless?" She asked.

Stoick nodded, "They do now."

"Until we figure out why Thor was angry at the metal, we're all walking on eggshells," Gobber said as they made their way downstairs and out the front door.

Hicca was happy to finally see the clear blue sky again, but at the same time, she was a little sad to see her creations being torn down by the villagers. She knew it was for the best, but still felt a little down as she watched some of the men topple the large Thor statue she and the other teens had made. "Oh, we worked so hard on that statue. Kind of a shame we have to just scrape it for parts."

But Stoick stroked his bread and thought for a moment, "Well, maybe we don't have to. Why don't you take it up to one of the high points on the island and leave it there?" He suggested, placing a hand on Hicca's shoulder.

"Oh, we'll handle that for you," Snotlout spoke up quickly. As he and the twins climbed aboard their dragons, Hicca wondered just what her cousin was planning.

She soon got her answer when she followed the Nightmare and Zippleback on Toothless, watching as they carried the statue all the way to Mildew's house. They dropped the metal giant right on the old man's door step, laughing as he yelled up at them.

"I'm not sure that's what my dad hand in mind, guys," Hicca spoke up as the flew back.

Snotlout just shrugged, "Hey, that's the way I understood it."

Hicca couldn't help but give a slight chuckle, she may not have fully agreed with them, but that didn't mean they'd be removing the statue any time soon.

Over the next couple of days, Hicca found that the lightning storms had impacted a lot of people. For most of the villagers, it made them realise just how rash they'd been in their actions. It wasn't rare for a different family to stop by every now and them, offering their apologies to both her and Toothless.

The lightning had also left its permanent mark on Hicca body. Running all the way down Hicca's right arm, was a jagged pattern of lightning scars. They were a slight orange in colour and looked like ferns criss-crossing across her arm. Gothi had said they would most likely never fade. But Hicca didn't mind, it was just another constant reminder that she would do anything to protect those she cared about.

End of episode 13.

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 **Chapter 13 finally done :) Really liking this episode, some really great scenes to write about :)**

 **Couple of points: Though it's never mentioned, I love the idea of Hicca/Hiccup with lightning scars after this episode :) Also I didn't include the final monologue in this one, it just felt a little out of place :/ Still, let me know what you think, and I'll see you all net time :)**


	14. What Flies Beneath

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 14 finally here :) First appearance of the Whispering Death Dragons, a personal favourite :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 14**

 **What Flies Beneath**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _Everybody has a past. Even dragons. And sometimes, the past can come back to haunt them. And when it does, you're gonna need to be there for them._

In the middle of the night, while the village of Berk slept, something shifted beneath the rocks and grassy hills.

In the cattle fields near the cliffs, the animals could almost sense something was amiss, but they were unable to do anything as the ground opened up and swallowed them whole, into the jaws of something unseen. First a yak by the hills, then a handful of sheep, the cracks and quakes in the ground moving closer to the chiefs hut and towards the centre of the village.

On the top floor of the chief's home, Hicca slept soundly on her bed. The poor girl had been working hard late into the night, drawing up new maps and plans for some new islands they'd come across, by the time she'd collapsed onto her bed, she hadn't even had the energy to put out her candle or pull the covers over her.

But while Hicca had fallen asleep as soon as her head had hit the pillow, Toothless was still wide awake. Like the other animals on the island, the Nightfury could feel something was wrong, something just below his paws, something... familiar.

The dragon's frills twitched as he let out a quiet hiss, followed by a warning growl, unfortunately waking Hicca from her slumber.

"Ugh, Toothless... go back to sleep," She muttered before falling back against the pillow, the whispers of sleep too great for her to resist.

But Toothless couldn't go to sleep. There was something dangerous right under his feet.

/LINE BREAK/

The next morning, it was clear Toothless's fears hadn't simply been because of his imagination, across the village and in the fields, a handful of deep, dark holes had been found. They stretched down into the earth with no clear sign of how they got here, or what created them.

"What on earth made this?" Hicca wondered aloud as she joined her father and Gobber as they peered down into the deep tunnel. Toothless sniffed around the edge, then he leapt forward and growled at the darkness bellow. He sniffed again, then suddenly reared back with a loud roar.

"Whoa, hey! Come on, it's just a hole, bud." Hicca stepped forward and stroked the dragon's jaw, trying to calm him down. Now Toothless was a very protective dragon, so of course he would be wary of something so strange. But to growl and roar at the hole, it seemed a little too much.

Just as Hicca was about to pull him away from the hole in hopes of calming him, a voice called out from the dark depths.

"It's not just a hole! It's like an underground village!"

Gobber, Hicca and Toothless leaned forward to peer into the hole again, but this time, they spotted Bucket standing at the bottom of the dark tunnel.

Mulch ran over at the sound of his friend's voice, "Bucket! There you are. I've been lookin' for you all night!"

"Sorry, Mulch. But I think I finally found it: My happy place!"

Just as Hicca was about to chuckle at Bucket's antics, a huge cloud of dust suddenly erupted from the hole, throwing the blond male up with it. Hicca and the others stepped back so as not to be swept up with the sudden gust of air, there was a thud as Bucket landed on the ground heavily.

Stoick and Hicca ran over to see if he was alright, while Toothless stayed near the hole.

"Are you alright, Bucket?" Stoick asked as he rushed over.

"Not so happy anymore," The blond mumbled as he rubbed his spinning head.

Stoick help him to his feet, "What happened?"

"Something pushed me out! Something's down there. Something big!"

In the darkness of the tunnels, Bucket hadn't been entirely sure what he'd seen. But in order to push him out of the hole and into the air, making a large plume of dust and dirt in its wake, it had to be big.

Toothless gave another growl and dived into the hole, once he landed he could see that the tunnel split up in different directions, all of which led down deep dark corridors. From the darkness, whispers could be heard in all direction, quiet and ghostly, it was hard to pinpoint exactly which direction they were coming from.

Toothless gave another growl and took of down on of the tunnels.

Hicca and the others had run over to try and see where Toothless had run off to, but a sudden rumble took them off guard, the ground trembling underneath their feet. It took a second for Hicca to catch her balance as Arvid rushed over.

"What's that sound?" He yelled in question. There was a deep rumbling coming from the ground followed by a series of hushed whispers.

Suddenly, the hole in front of the erupted, forcing them all to leap back as rock were thrown from the tunnel. A large shape flew out of the earth, dust hiding it from view for a moment. But when the cloud cleared, the dragon revealed itself.

It had a large bulbous head, small wings, a twisted tail, small beady eyes, and a huge gapping mouth. Sharp spikes and spines covered its entire body, with dozens of rows of pointed fangs lining its maw.

"Whoa! Look at the size of that thing!" Snotlout said, sounding almost impressed.

Hicca stood with the other teens, but she wasn't too sure what to do without Toothless. Thankfully, Arvid took charge and yelled to the others, "Dragons! Everyone!"

The others all ran over to their dragons, leaving Hicca to try and find Toothless, just where had he run off to?

But as everyone mounted their dragons, the new dragon just glared at them. Its pale eyes darting from dragon to dragon, as if looking for something specific, whilst making the riders all shift in their seats.

"Uh, I don't like the way it's eyeballing me," Snotlout muttered.

"Don't worry, it's not just you," Fishlegs mumbled in return.

But Snotlout just grumbled in return, "Thanks, big relief!"

Before any of the others or their dragons could react, the spiky dragon dived back underground, more dirt and rocks flying out as the dragon buried back into the earth.

"What... was... that?" Arvid asked slowly.

Tuffnut looked up with a huge grin, "Whatever it was, I want one."

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say that was a Whispering Death," Fishlegs muttered after a second of though. It was no wonder why the dragons was called as such, the sound of its many rows of teeth grinding together, caused a constant quiet whirling sound to emit, almost like a series of whispers.

"Whoa, great name." Tuffnut shuffled forward in his saddle and covered Belch's ears, "So much better than Zippleback."

As the teens spoke, the rumbling started again, the other villagers all watched the ground worriedly, while some looked for higher ground. The Whispering Death then burst forth again, knocking over houses and scaring people away from its newly-made tunnel.

"Ah, it looks angry." Gobber leaned down to where Hicca stood next to him, "Why don't you do that thing where you touch its nose and feed it grass?"

Hicca looked at Gobber with a sideways glance, that wasn't quite how it worked. "Oookay... Uh..." She looked over to Fishlegs, "Fishlegs, what do we know about the Whispering Death?"

"Boulder Class; Razor sharp teeth, incredibly strong, hunts from underground," Fishlegs rattled off all the facts he could think of off the top of his head.

Tuffnut again covered Belch's ears, causing the dragon to look up in question, "Now I _really_ want one."

"So, how do we deal with this thing?" Snotlout asked as they watched the dragon flicker in the air, its tail curling left and right.

Suddenly, a deep voice yelled from above, "Stand back, everyone!"

Everyone turned to see their chief flying in on his Thunderdrum dragon, Thornado's sea blue scales contrasting brightly against the dull grey clouds. "Thornado's got something to say to this beast!" Stoick called as the Thunderdrum opened its mouth wide.

The dragon screamed at the Whispering Death, the air rippling as the sonic blast shot forward. But it was like the Boulder class dragon didn't notice, it barely reacted aside from maybe feeling the sonic wave, which only made it turn in anger and give its own roar.

"Uh... I don't think it's got its listening ears on," Gobber commented with a frown.

Without Hicca on the back of Toothless, Arvid to command of the other riders, "Alright, let's run this thing out of here!" He pulled Stormfly into the air and directed her and the other dragons to fly behind Thornado, backing him up as they faced the Whispering death.

But as the five dragons of Berk faced against the enemy, Toothless finally returned to the surface. He leapt from the hole and glared up at the spiked dragon, and the Whispering Death's pale eyes widened as it growled at Toothless. The Night Fury hissed in return, but then turned to look up at the other dragons and roared at them from below.

The other dragons seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then they all dropped their attack positions and backed away.

"What is Toothless doing!?" Snotlout yelled as he tried to regain control over Hookfang.

"I think he wants us to back off," Arvid suggested.

While the other teens tried to regain control over their dragons, Toothless and the Whispering Death glared at each other. The Boulder class dragon flared it's spines, and Toothless bared his teeth in response, his toxin green eyes almost piercing.

"Toothless!"

Hicca screamed as the Whispering Death dived towards the Night Fury, its mouth opened wide, ready to take a bite out of him. But Toothless expertly dodged and leapt at his opponent while he was turning in the air, his teeth clamping down onto one of the protruding spines, he held on a wrestled the Whispering Death to the ground.

But the other dragon broke free of Toothless's hold and rose quickly into the air once more. The Night Fury fired a few plasmas blasts, but the Whispering Death's thin body was too squirmy to hit. He flapped his wings hoping to get air bone, but without Hicca, he just dropped back to the ground.

The Whispering Death looked down on the Night Fury curiously, its jaw closing until its lower fangs had almost completely covered its pale eyes, obviously wondering why the Night Fury wasn't leaving solid ground to fight him in the air. Oh well, if it worked in his favour, he certainly wasn't complaining.

Hicca watched worriedly from the sidelines, "toothless can't fly without me! He's a sitting duck!"

Stoick heard his daughters concern and landed Thornado next to the blacksmith, "Gobber, man the catapults, and when that thing is clear of Toothless, Fire!"

"Dad, wait!" Hicca held put her hand to stop him as Toothless came galloping over. She hurried over and gripped Toothless's saddle, with he glared at his flying enemy, "Just let me help you, bud." But before Hicca could attach her prosthetic into the tail control, Toothless jerked his body and pushed her aside, his eyes still on the sky.

Hicca's eyes widened as she stared at the dragon, "What? Toothless, wh-what's wrong?"

Toothless almost ignored her and rushed forward, he stopped and turned to her only briefly, roared at her, then ran off.

She was stunned still for what felt like a long time. Never, in all the time they'd know each other, had Toothless ever pushed her aside. He was her best friend, but... he'd just left.

Hicca slowly stood as Arvid ran over to her. "What was that all about?" He asked her.

"I have no idea..." She answered quietly.

She was still shocked at Toothless's reaction, but her worry for him was far stronger, so after a split second, she ran after him. The others soon following

They found Toothless chasing after the Whispering Death towards the Village plaza, Toothless still trying to gain altitude as the spiked dragon finally stopped to face him. Unfortunately, the Boulder class dragon had one ability more accustom to Sharp class dragons. He glared down at Toothless and fired his sharp spines towards him.

Toothless was able to dodge most of the spikes, but one buried itself deep into his back leg. Hicca and the other riders arrived just in time to hear the Night Fury's horrifying screech.

Stoick quickly yelled out to Gobber, who stood ready by an armed catapult. The large blond man gave the lever and sharp tug and fired a boulder towards the air-born menace, the rock hit the Whispering Death square in the jaw and managed to daze. But the dragon was still not backing down, instead it turned and glared at the humans, hissing at them menacingly.

But just at that moment, the clouds parted. Just slightly, but it was enough for a single stream of light to shine down. Another boulder was fired, hitting the Whispering Death again. This time, the dragon screeched and burrowed into the ground. There was a pause, as everyone waited for the ground to start shaking again, a tense silence. But it finally seemed like the dragon had left.

Toothless finally stopped chasing after the tunnelling dragon, and instead settled for growling at the dirt. When he stopped, Hicca was finally able to move closer to her dragon, gasping when she saw the dark spine imbedded in his leg. Toothless's dark blood had already started dripping from the wound, the sight shook Hicca so badly, that it took her a moment to remember what a fast healer Toothless was.

She took a deep breath and move closer to Toothless. The dragon tensed as he felt someone touch his back, turning to glare at whoever it was, but his eyes instantly softened when his gaze fell upon the young auburn haired girl. She held his gaze for a moment longer, then slowly looked down at the spine, and wrapped both of her small hands around the spike.

Wanting to take the spine out as quickly as possible, Hicca grit her teeth and pulled with all her strength. Thankfully the spine wasn't in that deep, Toothless didn't even flinch as it was pulled out, the wound barely visible aside from a trickle of blood among his scales.

As soon as the spike was pulled free, Toothless took off again, running up the hill and towards the forest.

"Toothless, wait!" Hicca called after him, but it was too late.

Arvid and the other teens stepped closer, "Where's he going?"

"Probably running away to lick his wounds," Snotlout laughed.

Hicca turned to glare at her cousin, "It's not funny! He could've been killed." She held up the dark dragon spike, clutching it tightly, "He can't fly, remember?"

"And whose fault is that?"

As Hicca's eyes widened in surprise at Snotlout's forward comment, it was Arvid's turn to glare at the dark haired male, "Seriously, did you just go there?"

But he only gave a shrug, "Hey, I call it like I see it."

Arvid and Hicca both rolled their eyes at Snotlout as Fishlegs spoke up, "Um, dose anyone want to talk about what in the name of Thor just happened?"

Tuffnut only gave another shrug, "Uh, dragon fight? Just another day on Berk."

"Not really. It seemed like there was way more to it than that."

Hicca agreed with the larger blond, "He's right. The Whispering Death singled Toothless out." She pointed out, remembering how the dragon hadn't attacked any other dragon aside from the Night Fury.

"And Toothless wanted that dragon all to himself," Arvid nodded, it was unmistakable how Toothless had growled at everyone else and forced them back.

Hicca looked down at the dark spike again, some of Toothless's blood still staining the tip. "Yeah, he certainly did. But why?" She asked aloud.

/LINE BREAK/

Toothless spent the entire day watching over the village from the hillside, just waiting for the Whispering Death to return. And in return, Hicca watched him.

That night, Toothless begrudgingly returned home, his whole body tense as he trudged upstairs. Thankfully, he at least allowed Hicca close enough to apply some healing salve to his leg.

"I-I really wish you could just tell me what was going on out there today," Hicca spoke quietly as she made sure Toothless's wound was healing alright.

The dragon only gurgled quietly in response. Just then, a sudden sound caused Toothless to growl and jump into an attack pose, ready to fight with his ears perked up and claws out. But it only turned out to be Hicca's father's footsteps on the stairs.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, bud. It's just my dad." Hicca stroked his neck to comfort him.

Stoick stepped closer once the dragon relaxed, "How's our wounded warrior?"

"He's still on edge."

"Don't worry Toothless," He said as he patted the dragon on the head. "I think we showed that dragon a thing or two about uninvited guests on Berk, I don't think he'll be coming back any time soon." Stoick gave a confident smile, but then added quietly, "At least I hope not"

"Yeah, me too," Hicca said as her father walked back downstairs. She turned back to Toothless and inspected the wound one more time, "Okay that should do it bud. You just need to take it easy."

Toothless did as he was asked and climbed onto his large stone bed, a white light and orange flames ignited as he heated up the stone, he trotted in a small circle before curling up and getting comfortable. Hicca followed suit and walked over to her own bed, she sat down and looked over to Toothless one more, making sure he was alright before she lay down and closed her eyes.

Just as her breathing settled and sleep overtook her, Toothless stirred on his own bed. He crept closer to Hicca's bed and made sure she was asleep, then he quietly climbed out of the roof window, it was a warm night, so Hicca had left it open. The Night Fury may not have been able to fly without Hicca, but he could at least glide down from the roof, landing heavily on the ground outside the Chief's home.

He turned back to look at the house once more, then took off towards the forest.

He didn't return that night.

Hicca awoke the next morning and knew exactly what had happened, there was no question Toothless was as stubborn as she was, of course he had gone to face the Whispering Death alone.

She sent word to the other Dragon Riders to meet at the arena, it didn't take long for the other teens and their dragons to arrive, they all stood with their dragons while Hicca paced back and forth.

"Maybe Toothless just went for a morning flight?" Suggested a bored Snotlout, but then he gave a laugh. "Oh, that's right... he can't!"

"Really? You're going there again? Now?" Arvid practically growled at him.

But Hicca just ignored him, "Toothless must be looking for the Whispering Death. We find it, we find Toothless."

"What do we do if we find the Whispering Death first?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well, we train him," Hicca said simply as she walked over to the larger blond teen. "Fishlegs, is there anything about the Whispering Death in the Book of Dragons that can help us?"

Fishlegs quickly leafed through the faded yellow pages, "It can shoot razor sharp spines from any part of its body."

"And how's that gonna help us?" Arvid asked with crossed arms.

"Well, it would help if we stayed away from those," Fishlegs retorted.

Tuffnut gave a chuckle, "Or, we can get near them and use Ruffnut as a human shield!" He was rewarded with a sharp kick to the knee from his sister. "Ow! My knee cap! That's new... I like it."

It was honestly fascinating sometimes how quickly the teens could get over pain, maybe they were just used to it.

"This dragon must have a weakness..." Hicca stated.

"Actually, no," Fishlegs looked up with wide eyes, he turned the book around to show her. "It says right here: 'No know weakness'"

It was written clearly on the page in front of them, but Hicca just gave a sigh. The book was still useful if a little out dated by this point, in just the past few months they had found out so many new things, Hicca hoped they could find a Whispering Death's weakness too.

"Okay, can we go now, please?" Hicca turned and climbed onto Stormfly's back, the Nadder of course had no problem with this and lowered her body for the smaller girl to climb on. "We don't know how much time we have."

She held out her arm and pulled Arvid up to sit in front of her, he gripped Stormfly's rains before quickly turning to face her. "Don't worry, Hicca. We'll find him."

With that, the dragons took off out of the arena into the air, Hicca wrapped her arms around Arvid's waist to keep herself steady. They flew over the village, and out towards the forest.

Stormfly was in the lead as they kept an eye out for anything below on the forest floor, either Toothless, the Whispering Death, or anything else that could lead them to the dragons.

"There, down below," Hicca pointed just in front of them, where two deep holes could be seen.

The dragons landed, with Hicca being the first to dismount and run over to the tunnels, looking everywhere for any sign of her friend. "Toothless!? Toothless!?"

"How do we even know the Whispering Death made these holes?" Snotlout asked from near Hookfang.

"So you think it might be the other 2,500 pound, rock eating Dragon we're following?" Arvid asked with a smirk.

As Snotlout grumbled to herself, Hicca spotted something by the edge of the tunnel. "Look at this...?" A dragon tooth, far too long and thin to belong to Toothless. Hicca picked it up to show it to Arvid, "He must've lost a tooth."

"Is it sharp? If it is, I want it! I like sharp!" Tuffnut started jumping from foot to foot excitedly.

Ruffnut nodded in agreement, "Yeah, sharp is good!"

But Fishlegs was wasn't as happy with the find, "Think of this: hundreds of those spinning together, ripping through dirt and tree roots. Discarding rocks like it's not even there!" No doubt the males mind was conjuring all sorts of horrific images.

But before Hicca or Arvid could answer, a series of squawks, screeches and hisses sounded from behind them. They turned to the dragons to see them all in defensive positions, clearly worried over something the teens couldn't see.

As the teens tried to calm their dragon, Hicca listened out for the unseen danger. "Stop! Listen..."

Thankfully the dragons managed to settle down enough to the teens to do as Hicca directed.

"Listen for what!?" Tuffnut asked.

"I don't hear anything, what are we listening for!?" Ruffnut asked.

"Be quiet," Arvid hissed loudly at them.

"How are we supposed to hear anything over his yelling-?" Tuffnut asked loudly.

Arvid turned to glare at the twins, "Shh!"

Finally there was quiet for a brief moment, just as the ground started to tremble beneath them. By this point, it was a familiar feeling. Then came the sound, the quiet slithering sound of a hundred whispers, the sound of the dragon's teeth.

"The whispering..." Fishlegs muttered, fear evident in his voice.

The rumbling grew closer and louder, but still there was no sign of the Night Fury.

"Looks like we beat Toothless," Snotlout muttered in an attempted joke.

Arvid nodded, "Yeah... we win..."

"I'm not feeling like a winner," Fishlegs was really starting to panic now, and the dragon hadn't even shown itself yet.

Suddenly the ground erupted, another hole made near the two they had first found. The dragon turned to roar at Fishlegs, who could only stand there frozen.

"Hi... um... I like the teeth..."

The dragon surged forward glaring and growling at Fishlegs, but then it stopped. It stared down at Fishlegs, but didn't attack. It turned to glare at all the other dragons individually, but it couldn't find the one dragon it was looking for, the Night Fury.

It roared and slithered away, diving into the ground once more, and tunnelling away.

Before the spiked tail had even fully disappeared, Snotlout gave a yell of annoyance. "I hate it when he does that! Can you at least tell me why does it!?"

Fishlegs brain whirled as the ground continued to rumble, "Maybe to hunt...? Maybe because it's cooler...? Maybe to look for water...? And maybe because he can't stand the pressure of everybody always expecting him to have the answers!"

Hicca watched with worry as Fishlegs' fear bubbled over, there was no stopping her panic now.

"He's losing it," Tuffnut muttered with a grin.

"I know... it's awesome," Ruffnut returned the grin.

When the Whispering Death remerged again, Fishlegs ran with a scream.

Tuffnut again started hoping back and forth, "Someone hold it still. I wanna pet it!" But thankfully, Ruffnut was smart enough to hold her brother back.

Arvid yelled over to Hicca, "Do you actually have a plan, or are you just trying to get yourself killed?"

"If I can train it, it'll leave Toothless alone," Hicca strode forward with almost total confidence, the vicious dragon munching on stones just a few feet away.

"Right, so you are trying to get yourself killed?" Snotlout confirmed.

Before Hicca could retort to her cousin, the Whispering Death turned and charged towards her, gobbling any rocks and dirt in its wake.

The other teens could only gasp in shock as a cloud of dust plumed out from the ground, hiding the heiress and the dragon from view, it was deadly silent for a long while. When the cloud finally cleared, Hicca slowly looked up towards her outstretched hand.

Her long auburn hair fluttering softly as the large dragon let out a deep breath. The open hand in front of him was like some kind of hypnosis, or maybe just curiosity. Whatever it was, it had caused the dragon to stop in its tracks. Hicca was so close to the dragon now, she could see the stains of dirt along its teeth, and pale white eyes clouded with flecks of red. The dragon's nostrils flared as it sniffed at her and, letting out a gurgled growl, before turning and diving into the ground once more.

"Okay..." Hicca muttered quietly, her legs wobbling so badly it felt like they would give way under her. That could have ended very badly, possibly even one her top five most terrifying moments.

Once she regained her bearings, she ran after the dragon and looked down into the newly dug tunnel, the rumbling already sounding far away. The longer she stared into the hole, the more an idea formed in her head. Trying to find the dragon from the air was going to be difficult, but by going underground, they would know exactly where the dragon was going.

Hicca turned to tell the others what she was thinking, but Arvid beat her to the punch. "Um, I know what you're thinking, and the answer's no."

Hicca spared him another look, but then turned and jumped forward, leaping into the darkness of the tunnel.

"I hate it when she does that," Arvid muttered with tired look. Oh, the fun of being the heiress's boyfriend, he thought to himself. The other teens stepped closer to the edge of the hole, trying to spot Hicca in the darkness.

"Oh, man. OI am so glad I'm not down there right now," Fishlegs stated with a grateful smile, unaware he was completely open to an attack from Snotlout.

With only an 'Oops', the dark haired male shoved the large blond forward.

After landing heavily with a thud, Fishlegs stood up shakily. "Thanks, Fishlegs. I kinda figured you'd be the last one to volunteer," Hicca admitted with a small smile.

Fishlegs pulled himself up and tried to sound confided, "Yeah! I didn't want you to have to face that thing all alone." Fishlegs and Hicca both gave small smiles, both fully aware it would most likely be Hicca protecting him in the end.

With that sorted, the two started moving forward through the tunnels, able to see thanks to the few streams of light leaking through the ground. Ahead of them, Fishlegs and Hicca could see their journey was going to be difficult, the tunnel ahead of them split into several different routes.

"This thing's been busy," Hicca muttered.

Fishlegs followed closely behind her, "Quick question: why are we down here again?"

"This is where it spends all of its time. There's got to be something down here that can help us," Hicca told him.

A sudden rushing sound made them both jump, Hicca quickly looked to her left just in time to see a spiked tail slink past in another tunnel. "There it goes, let's follow it," She whispered.

But Fishlegs didn't move straight away, "Oh, you were talking to me...?"

Hicca rolled her eyes, "Fishlegs, new Dragon! You love this stuff!"

"I hate that about me!" The blond admitted with a small nod.

The two slowly moved forward, following the path Hicca had seen the tail slither down, listening out for any sign that the dragon was nearby, the tree roots above them twisted and slithered like pale snakes over their heads. The two suddenly jumped at a rustling sound to their right, a set of beady eyes staring at them, but it only turned out a sheep lost in the tunnel.

The two turned to continue their search, but suddenly stopped, when the Whispering Death suddenly burst out from around the corner. Hicca acted quickly and pushed Fishlegs into one of the tunnels, the two pressed themselves against the dirt wall as the dragon shifted past. They kept as quiet as possible as the dragon moved slowly, feeling safe in its tunnels, but suddenly the dragon reared back when it came across a strong beam of sunlight leaking into the tunnel.

Hicca frowned as she watched the dragon move, its whole body shifting around the light, outright avoiding it. But before the wheels in her head could really start to turn, Fishlegs jumped forward excitedly.

"Hicca, did you see-!?"

The female quickly slapped her hand over his mouth, silencing him. "Can it wait!?" She hissed as Fishlegs gave a nod. But the dragon had already heard him, it turned in a flash and slithered back towards them.

Hicca kept her hand over Fishlegs' mouth and pushed him further into the tunnel, watching the dragon carefully as it passed by again, only moving when the dragon came to a sudden halt, maybe distracted by something.

As Hicca leaned forward to keep an eye of the dragon's upper body, Fishlegs tapped her on the shoulder.

He didn't say anything, but instead pointed to the Whispering Death's thin body. Upon taking a closer look to where Fishlegs was pointing, a pale mark caught her attention. More specifically, a bite mark, and an old one at that. The scar had pulled away at the scales, showing the pale flesh underneath, the two arches clearly forming a wide mouth shape.

Just as Hicca reached out to take a closer look, the dragon continued its trek and slithered away.

Once the dragon was gone and all was quiet again, Fishlegs spoke up with enthusiasm again. "Did you see that!?"

Hicca nodded, "Was that a bite mark?"

"Not just a bite mark, that was a _Night Fury_ bite mark. I think I know why these two are looking for each other," With Fishlegs' words, the wheels in Hicca's head started turning again.

As far as they were aware, Toothless was the only, or even the last, Night Fury. So it wasn't a stretch to assume that Toothless himself. And the way he had reacted when the Whispering Death first appeared, he wanted to fight him alone.

"They have a history."

"A grudge," Fishlegs agreed.

"If that's true, how long do Dragons carry a grudge?" Hicca wondered aloud.

There was a pause, before Fishlegs spoke again.

"To the death..."

Hicca took a deep breath, "Let's get out of here before it comes back."

"That is a really good idea," Fishlegs agreed.

The two turned and started running back down the tunnel, but suddenly a large face appeared from the darkness. Rows of sharp teeth and familiar pale eyes, the Whispering Death blocked their path.

Fishlegs was knocked back in surprise, but Hicca quickly helped him to his feet. The two backed up into the large beam of light, the dragon surged forward but had to swoop around to avoid the light, forcing the two teens to run back down the tunnel while it took a different route.

Back on the surface, Arvid paced nervously while he and the others teens waited at the edge of the tunnel, they had been waiting for what felt like hours.

"They've been down there forever," he muttered aloud. He kneeled by the edge of the tunnel and yelled down into the hole. "Hicca! Fishlegs!"

Surprisingly, his called seemed to immediately summon the two teens from the darkness. "Yep, right here," Hicca yelled up to him.

"Did you see the Whispering Death? Was it cool?"

"Did you touch it?"

Tuffnut pushed his sister back, "I wanna touch it!"

"Can we talk about this later?" Fishlegs called up, "We really need to get out of this hole!"

Arvid looked up when he felt another rumble in the earth, not too far in front of them the Whispering Death was burrowing towards them. "Yeah, you do."

Hicca and Fishlegs turned towards the tunnel they had just run down, they couldn't see through the darkness, but they could feel the whole tunnel trembling. They had to get out of here, now!

"Fishlegs, you go first," Hicca told him.

"No argument here."

Hicca pushed Fishlegs behind her and helped him climb the dirt wall, Arvid reached down and grabbed his hand, then the other teens help to pull him up. Arvid then turned back to the tunnel, "Hicca, hurry!"

The auburn haired girl tried to dig her metal foot into the wall, trying to use it to push herself up towards Arvid's outstretched hand. But her foot kept slipping in the dirt, she tried jumping up to reach him, but the best she could do was barely brush her fingertips against his.

The rumbling turned into a thundering stampede behind Hicca, the Whispering Death was right behind her. "Everyone stand back!"

If stretching her open hand out towards an oncoming Whispering Death was in her top five most terrifying moments... standing at the mercy of a charging dragon, in a dark tunnel, after being so close to escaping... that was now in the top two.

Thankfully, at the mercy of Odin, Hicca wasn't killed by the impact. Instead, the Whispering Death hit the dirt wall with incredible force, the impact throwing Hicca and another mountain of dirt into the air.

Hicca let out a scream as she started to fall back to earth, her hair fluttering in the air. Normally falling through the air wasn't such a scary thing, but then again, Toothless was normally with her. This time, there was nothing to catch her as she fell into the open mouth of a Whispering Death, the rows of spinning teeth screaming like saw blades right behind her.

But before the dragon could catch Hicca with its teeth, Stormfly swooped in a caught her.

The Nadder cradled Hicca in her claws, dropping as gently as she could in front of the other teens. Hicca gasped for breath as her heart raced in her chest, yep, definitely top two most terrifying moments. "Thanks, Arvid," She said once she was finally calm again.

She turned back and looked at the Whispering Death, it was still hovering in the air and looking very annoyed.

"I don't think he liked you in its hole..." Tuffnut noted from behind Hicca.

"Yeah, I got that," Hicca mumbled.

"Can we get out of here? Please!" Snotlout pleaded.

But Hicca refused, "No. I know I can train this thing." She looked at the troubled dragon, it still looked very angry. She needed to calm it down, "Does anyone have any Dragon Nip."

In a single moment, Hicca suddenly had an armful of grass. Well, okay, she had asked Dragon Nip, and that's exactly what she got.

Hicca slowly made her way over to the unsettled dragon, speaking softly and calmly, "Don't be afraid... I'm a friend. Here..." She held the grass up for the dragon to see and smell. Almost immediately the dragon calmed down, its glaring eyes becoming wide and far less scary. "You'll love this, all dragons love this," She smiled hopefully and offered the dragon the bundle.

Unfortunately, once the Whispering Death took a whiff of the, it recoiled in a sudden sneeze. Scattering the grass over the teens and their dragons. Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf, Belch and Hookfang all collapsed in a euphoric daze.

"Oh, great. Now we're defenceless," Snotlout crumbled as he looked over the fallen dragons.

Without the calming grass, the Whispering Death went back to being angry, growling at the teens and their fallen dragons.

"Uh... Any ideas?" Hicca asked as she backed away from the fierce dragon, all of her ideas about how to train the dragon had run out. "I'm throwing it wide-open to the group."

Surprisingly, it was Snotlout who spoke up, "I got an idea... Run!"

The teens turned and ran, with the Whispering Death quickly giving chase. But with their dragons down due to the Dragon Nip, they were left running in the opposite direction up the hill, leading the attacking dragon away from their own. They ran as fast as they could, but the Whispering Death was quickly catching up, snapping its teeth at Hicca's heels.

Suddenly, a dark blur shot out from the bushes, latching on to the Whispering Death and tackling it to the ground. The teens skidded to a halt to turn and see what had happened, and what caught their eye was a familiar dark shape, with one red tail fin.

While Hicca was stunned silent, it was Arvid who yelled out to the dragon. "Toothless!?"

The two dragons wrestled in the dirt, Toothless's smaller size was a slight disadvantage, but his agility more than made up for it. The Night Fury threw his body to the left, hurling the spiked dragon across the ground and into a line of trees, but the dragon got back up and hovered in the air once more. The two dragons growled at each other threatening, preparing themselves for whatever the other had planned.

But when Toothless gave a loud roar, others growls joined him. The other dragons had shaken themselves free from the Dragon Nip's hold and now stood on either side of Toothless, ready to fight the enemy dragon by his side, that is, if he didn't force them to back off again.

The Whispering Death gave an annoyed screech, once more retreating to the underground. Hicca rushed over to try and climb on Toothless's saddle, but once again, he flinched and jumped away from her.

"Hey, bud, it's me," She held her hands out to calm him. "I know what's going on with you and that other dragon," Toothless's expression softened at her comment. "Let me help you."

But then came another problem, even though Toothless's reasons for not allowing the others to get involved were now know, that didn't mean he was going to allow them to help. He once again gave a growl and ran from Hicca.

"Toothless, came back!"

Hicca gave chase immediately, but Toothless only turned to fire a single shot at Hicca's feet, forcing her to stop to protect her eyes from the cloud of smoke. Toothless threw her one last apologetic look before running off after the Whispering Death, leaving Hicca to stand there with the other teens and their dragons.

For a while, it felt hard to breath. Did Toothless, her best friend, really not trust her to help him in his mission?

Still, Hicca wasn't about to let him go through this alone, she just couldn't.

She turned to find the other teens had already mounted their dragons. With a quick smile, she climbed onto Stormfly and held onto Arvid as they took off after Toothless. The Night Fury may not have been able to fly, but he was still very quick on his feet.

"So Toothless has an arch-enemy," Snotlout commented aloud as they flew. "Kind of like you and me."

Hicca rolled her eyes, "Snotlout! You're not my arch-enemy!"

"Well, you're mine!"

Hicca again ignored her cousin's glare and turned back to Arvid, the blond could tell how worried she was, and was doing his best to comfort her. "He's just trying to protect you."

"That's not what it is!" Snotlout shouted again. "Toothless doesn't want you around because this is between him and the other guy. He's a fighter, like me. Not... Whatever you are."

The auburn haired girl gave a sigh, "I... I never thought I'd say this, Snotlout, but I think you're right."

Snotlout's eyebrows shot up into his hairline in surprise, "Wait... huh? You guys heard that, right?"

But Hicca was still concerned, "It's not a fair fight! If Toothless is gonna win, he has to fly. And he can't fly without me!"

"So, what are you saying?" Arvid asked with a frown.

"I'm saying we need to find him. And soon," Hicca grip tightened around the blonde's waist as she spoke. Toothless was strong, no doubt, but his inability to take to the air would soon make him a sitting duck.

They soon spotted Toothless galloping across the hills, running at full speed after the Whisper Death. "There he is! Get me down there," Hicca told Arvid.

Stormfly landed just behind where Toothless had come to a halt, he was sniffing the ground and growling at anything that moved, but he seemed to just ignore Stormfly when she landed.

Hicca dismounted and carefully made her way over to her dragon, she didn't want to startle him, but she needed him to know. Even though he wanted to tackle this on her own, she wasn't just going to abandon him.

Toothless turned to face her as she approached and held out her hand out towards him, such a familiar sight calmed him again, he stood quietly and allowed Hicca to touch his nose. He leaned forward into her touch, and relaxed as she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Hey, bud. You had me so worried there for a while. You haven't been yourself lately, good to see you're still you."

Just as Hicca pulled back to stroke Toothless's jaw, another rumble shook the ground. The Whispering Death burst out from the ground a screeched loudly, Toothless started to pull away from Hicca with a growl, but again Hicca tried to calm him.

"You can just walk away from this, bud! Let's just go home-" She almost pleaded with him. Hicca tried once more to climb onto his saddle, hoping he actually let her help. But once again, he pushed her aside and leapt forward alone to give chase.

As Hicca just stood there, Fishlegs tried to comfort her, "You were so close. I thought you had him!"

But all they could do was watch as Toothless tried to get airborne on his own, but the most he could do was fire plasma blasts whilst flapping his wings as hard as he could, hovering only a few feet off the ground. But the Whispering Death dodged his shots and whipped his tail around, swiping Toothless to the side and into the dirt. The dragon there reared back and fired its own blast, a ringed jet of fire burst from its maw and surrounded Toothless, a cloud of smoke rising from the scorched grass.

Toothless tried to dodge but was again knocked aside with a swipe of the Whispering Death's tail, he tumbled for a second before righting himself and turning to glare at his opponent. Again Toothless jumped up to try and attack the wispy dragon, but the Whispering Death just flew around in circles above his head, almost like it was taunting the Night Fury.

But Hicca still couldn't just stand by and watch, "He needs our help."

Arvid pull Hicca up on to the saddle and pushed Stormfly forward, leading the others in a charge against the Whispering Death.

But again Toothless roared at the dragons and ordered them to stay back.

The dragons swayed on their feet, unsure of what to do while their riders tried to calm them.

"Come on, girl," Arvid tried to comfort the Nadder.

"Hookfang won't budge!" Snotlout complained.

The twins meanwhile were having a hard enough time just staying on their dragons, "I think ours is broken."

"They know this isn't their fight, guys," Fishlegs told them.

The Whispering Death lunged again, forcing Toothless to dodge and firing another spread of ringed fire. He kept firing and forcing Toothless towards the cliff, the river that had once run through there and eroded away the rocks had dried up into a canyon, leaving a long ledge with a few thin rock pillars to hold it up. Toothless tried to get away from the dead end, but the Whispering Death now knew the Night Fury's inability to fly on his own, he planned on pushing Toothless until he had no where left to run.

"Toothless!" Hicca yelled out in worry. "He's gonna knock Toothless into the canyon!"

The Whispering Death kept firing at the ground in front of Toothless, pushing him back and breaking the ledge apart bit by bit. Soon Toothless had no where left to move, he barely had enough room on the final pillar, and the Whispering Death was getting ready to fire again.

At that point, Hicca couldn't stand watching anymore. She was not going to just leave him, she was going to help him whether he liked it or not, even if that meant forcing his hand.

Hicca stood at the very edge of the cliff, making sure Toothless could see her. Then she stepped off the edge into midair.

"Hicca!" Arvid screamed after her, catching everyone's attention.

Toothless looked away from his opponent to see the small girl falling through the air, tumbling down to the rocks bellow. The fight was forgotten about in an instant, all of Toothless's thought were now focused on saving Hicca.

Just as the Whispering Death shatter Toothless's final platform, the Night Fury jumped down to save his rider. As the platform collapsed, the rocks smashed into the canyon, a cloud of dust rose upwards and hid the two falling figures from view.

For a moment, no one could move. They could only wait with batted breath, as Toothless and Hicca were swallowed by the cloud.

Then, almost in slow motion, Toothless emerged from the dust cloud, along with Hicca on his back. Her prosthetic attached, and his fake tail fine open wide, as the two took off into the air and out of the canyon.

"Yes!" Arvid cheered as she and the others watched.

Hicca patted on the head, "You save me, I save you! That's the way it is!"

Toothless gave a gurgle in response, he should have known Hicca wasn't going to leave just because he told her to, she was as stubborn as he was.

The two turned back to shoot past the other teens and face the Whispering Death, the dragon panicked and quickly fires and handful of sharp spikes, but now Toothless could dodge them easily, even the dragon's ringed fire couldn't touch him. Toothless soared high then swooped around, firing his own plasma blast to shake the ground as it hit right next the enemy dragon.

The Whispering Death gave an angry roar, but it was soon cut short as a steam of sunlight broke through the clouds. Before Toothless and Hicca could stop it, it borrowed underground again.

But while Hicca looked down with a frown of confusion, Fishlegs yelled up to her.

"The sunlight, Hicca! _That's_ it's weakness!"

The pieces clicked in the auburn girl's head as an idea formed, "Okay, bud. Keep him above ground."

The Night Furry gave a short nod and shot into the air again, swooping through the trees in search of any of the dragon made holes. When they found one, Toothless fired a shot directly into it, the purple flame erupting in the tunnel and filling the underground routs with light. Each time he fired, beams of light shot up from the holes, the light travelling down the criss-crossing tunnels in search of the dragon that was hiding in them.

The sight was quite amazing for the other teens to watch, "This is Amazing!" Ruffnut yelled excitedly.

Tuffnut nodded and looked down at Belch, "We've got to get you an arch-nemesis."

Soon enough, the plasma blasts caught up to the Whispering Death, throwing it from the tunnels in a burst of purple light. It hit the nearby cliffs with a thud, hard enough to daze it, but not enough to keep him down. It roared up at Toothless, but was too late to stop the Night Fury from pouncing, pinning him to the ground.

But the fight wasn't finished yet, at least not in Toothless's eyes. A low growl sounded in his through, along with a quiet hiss, he was preparing to strike with another plasma blast, and this time, he wouldn't miss.

But Hicca quickly place a hand on top of his head, "Toothless! No!"

Toothless threw her an unsure look, then turned back to his enemy. The Whispering Death's body lay still, and its eyes were wide, it was done fighting, knowing it had lost.

But the Night Fury wanted to be sure first. He growled at the Whispering Death under him and suddenly let out a piecing roar, making the dragon under him whimper and shake. Then he let the dragon go, allowing the Whispering Death to slink away back into its tunnels, they shouldn't have any more trouble from it from now on.

With that, Toothless and Hicca flew back over to the others, landing in front of the others and their dragons.

"Aw, man! Toothless could have finished him off!" Snotlout complained.

But Hicca just shrugged, "Well, I guess not all dragon grudges are to the death."

Finally, with all the fighting over, the teens and their dragons could return home. Toothless was definitely looking forward to a long rest, and Hicca was more than happy to give him a break after all the excitement. After their day of rest, the dragons set to work covering the Whispering Death holes with large boulders, it would be a problem if anyone fell into them.

 _When our past rears its ugly head, it usually doesn't have six rows of razor-sharp teeth and a bad attitude. If it does, you're going to need a great friend who has your back. I will always have Toothless' back, and he will always have mine._

End of episode 14.

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 **Chapter 14 finally done :) Really liking this episode, loving some back story for Toothless :)**

 **Again, love the Whispering Deaths, such a cool dragon design. I also like the implications that Toothless had relationships and conflicts with other dragons before meeting Hicca, aside from the Red Death.**

 **Also, if any of you are interested, I am putting my writing skills into a new test and starting my own original comic book series. If you want to take a look, then just head to: kathrynmills. deviantart. com and check out the first few pages for my promo comic of Welcome to the World.**

 **Let me know what you think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	15. Twinsanity

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 15 finally here :) First appearance of my favourite villian EVER, Dagur the Deranged! Or as he's referred to in this particular story, Dagma :)**

 **That's right ladies and gentlemen, Dagur is a female in this particular fanfic story, but there's a bit more to it than that, you'll have to read to find out. It was an idea suggested by a friend of mine :) Enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 15**

 **Twinsanity**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

 **Dagur – Dagma**

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 _They say two heads are better than one, which is often true... but four heads? Eh, that's a few too many._

The teen dragon riders were surrounded by grey. They were supposed to be practicing stealth, sneaking through the cloud line and trusting their dragon's heightened senses to guide them, and so far, it was actually going pretty well.

Kind of.

"How are we supposed to see up here?" Ruffnut asked as she and her brother leaned forward on their Zippleback heads, trying to see through the thick clouds.

"You're not. That's the whole point," Hicca called from the clouds, as Toothless swooped down in front of them.

Tuffnut frowned slightly, "Oh... No, I still don't get it."

"When you two can't see, you have to trust Barf and Belch to see for you. Like this!" Hicca caught their attention and then directed Toothless deeper into the cloud bank.

As the twins lost sight of her, Tuffnut rolled his eyes, "Why does she always have to speak in riddles!?"

Ruffnut gave a smirk, "I say we trust us."

"Yeah, I'm with you, sister!"

The twins pushed their dragon forward through the clouds, but then the twins actually tried to give directions.

"Barf, up!"

"Belch, down!"

With the two heads moving in opposite directions, the dragon was sent into the headfirst spin. The twins held on tightly as the dragon tried to right itself, but they couldn't stop themselves in time before crashing into Fishlegs and Meatlug. The dragons were tangled together in the air, as the three teens fell down towards the forest below.

The twins ended up on a branch, which creaked and groaned under their combined weight. As soon as the twins realised their predicament, they called out to the Zippleback for help.

"Barf, go for help!"

"Belch, get me down!"

Again the conflicting commands forced the two headed Zippleback to stretch in two different directions, Barf and Belch slammed back together and wobbled in the resulting dizziness spell.

Meanwhile on another tree branch, Fishlegs whistled to grab Meatlug's attention, but instead of calling up to her he made a few simple gestures with his hands. Hicca watched curiously as the Gronckle swooped down to rescue the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut both grabbed onto her just a the tree branch gave way.

"It worked! I can't believe it actually worked!" Fishlegs cheered. Unfortunately, his sudden movements caused his own branch to creek and suddenly snap. He gave a yell as he started falling, but his descent soon stopped as Hicca and Toothless swooped in to save him.

Fishlegs quickly calmed himself as she turned to face him. "What was that hand thing you were doing?" Hicca asked.

"If you must know, I have been crafting some rudimentary hand signals for Meatlug just in case we get separated, and they seem to have been well-received," Fishlegs stated with a confident smile, as he gestured to the rescued twins still clinging to Meatlug.

Hicca thought for a moment, "Hmm. Hand signals... That's incredible, Fishlegs!"

"Yeah, I know!" He replied excitedly.

"We need to start working on those right away."

/LINE BREAK/

After getting back to the academy, Hicca explained her plan to the others. The teens would work with their dragons to come up with several hand signals, they would be very useful on stealth missions and in battle.

In the middle of the academy, Hicca stepped forward in front of Toothless, her long hair tied back and a shield gripped tightly in one hand. Once she was ready, she called out to him to get his attention.

"Toothless, battle ready!"

She made a gesture with her fist, Toothless crouched low and gave a threatening growl in response.

"Toothless, plasma blast!"

Hicca pointed at the ground and suddenly threw her shield into the air, the Night Fury took aim and fired a shoot. The purple shot hit the shield and shattered it into splinters, thankfully none of them fell directly onto Hicca, she turned back to her dragon with a smile.

"Good job, Bud!" Hicca then drew her finger across her upturned lips. "Smile." Toothless drew back into his relaxed pose and drew his mouth back into an awkward toothless grin.

"Not bad," Arvid commented with a grin over his shoulder, before turning back to his dragon. "Stormfly, spine shot!" He put both hands forward and the Nadder responded.

Stormfly whipped her tail forward and shot out several spines at the ground near Arvid's feet, thankfully only one embedded itself into the leather of Arvid's boot. "Well, that's better than last time."

Snotlout gave a laugh, confident that he and Hookfang could do better. He slammed his fist into his hand as a gesture, "Hookfang, annihilate!" Unfortunately, the dark haired teen hadn't specified a target, resulting in Snotlout being thrown at one of the wooden walls.

Then it was Fishlegs' go, he had already shown his and Meatlug's experience with hand signals, so he decided to go for something simple instead. "Meatlug, hug!" The Gronckle barrelled forward and tackled the large blond in a flying hug.

Hicca held back a small chuckle as she watched, well if she was using enough force to knock Fishlegs to the ground, the Meatlug could certainly take out a few enemy Vikings with that move. She then turned to the twins, "Ruff, Tuff, your turn."

The twins turned to their dragon, but just as before, Barf responded only to Ruffnut, and Belch answered only to Tuffnut.

"Barf, go."

"Belch, come."

The dragon's pulled against one another, resulting in the two heads slamming against one another. The two blonds glared at each other, then they tried again.

"Barf, sky."

"Belch, ground."

Again, one side of the dragon tried to take off, while the other tried to get closer to the ground. The two sides smashed into each other again, causing the whole dragon to collapse to the ground.

"Ha! I win!" Tuffnut yelled happily.

But Ruffnut turned to him with an angry glare, "What do you think you're doing with my dragon?"

" _Your_ dragon? Oh, please! You've been breathing in Barf's gas again."

"Yeah, so!?"

Just when it looked like the two were about to bang their heads together, Hicca decided to step in.

"Guys, guys. Barf and Belch is one dragon," She explained in a calm tone. "You have to use one signal at a time."

Ruffnut gave a smirk, "Good idea. Barf, attack Tuffnut!" The left dragon head did as he was commanded, it swung forward and knocked the male twin aside, sending him careening into Snotlout.

"Ha! How's that?" Ruffnut grinned back at the smaller female.

"I don't think that's what Hicca-" Fishlegs tried to help, but he was cut off when Tuffnut jumped up.

"Belch, eat Ruffnut!"

Before the others could stop it, the right Zippleback head lunged forward and clamped its maw over Ruffnut's upper body, thankfully it didn't bite down.

"Tuff, come on!" Hicca rolled her eyes at the male twin.

He gave a sigh, "Whatever, Belch, drop Ruffnut."

Belch open its mouth and released Ruffnut, she gave a shudder but was thankfully unharmed. "I can't work like this."

For once the twins agreed. "Ugh, it's completely unprofessional," Tuffnut groaned.

"I'm taking my dragon and going home."

Tuffnut stepped closer, "You touch that dragon, and I'll-"

"You'll what?"

Tuffnut stuttered for a second, "I... I don't know. Don't rush me. Just, uh... uh, I'll tell you tomorrow."

The twins separated and both rushed toward their dragon head, again trying to pull them in opposite directions. Hicca couldn't bear to see the dragon get caught in the middle again, it wasn't their fault each head was loyal to its own rider. "Guys, come on. Stop, please. Leave the dragon out of it; it's over."

But the twins continued to pull, "Oh, it's over."

"Yeah, it's so over it's _under_!"

With that that twins let go and took off in separate directions, once again leaving Barf and Belch stuck in the middle pulling against itself.

"What was that all about?" Arvid asked as he stepped closer to Hicca.

But the auburn haired girl just gave a sigh, "Eh, they'll be back."

They decided to call the lesson there for today. In the mean time, Hicca tried to think of a way to stop the two dragon heads from trying to bite each other.

Once the Zippleback had finally calmed down and been sent home, Hicca decided to do the same with Toothless. They got back to their own house just as the sky was turning darker, the grey clouds above looking even gloomier than before. 'Hopefully it won't rain', Hicca thought to herself.

As she walked through the front door, she was greeted to the sight of Gobber trying to stretch a gold plated belt around her father's sucked in waist.

"Argh, suck in your gut, Stoick."

"It's sucked, Gobber! It doesn't suck anymore than this!"

Hicca held back a small laugh as her father tried to will himself thinner, but that wasn't the only thing that caught her attention. That gold belt was the chief's ceremonial belt, it was only worn when meeting other chiefs, "Ah, the ceremonial belt. Is it that time again?"

"Yep, tomorrow's the annual treaty signing with the Berserker tribe," Stoick chocked out.

Gobber gave a snort, "They've got to change that name. When your chief's Oswald the Agreeable, and you haven't been to war in fifty years."

Hicca nodded, but while Chief Oswald was perfectly friendly, there was one thing Hicca was concerned about. "Oh, please tell me he's not bringing that lunatic kid of his?"

"Dagma? Oh, she'll be here," Gobber chuckled.

It was common knowledge by this point, while the chief of the Berserker tribe was a calm and peaceful man, his daughter was very different.

Dagma was a killer.

Whether that be dragons or people, Dagma didn't even flinch while spilling blood, instead... she would laugh. Hicca had seen it firsthand. While in front of their fathers, she would merely criticize the smaller girl for her lack of physical strength and stature, when they were alone... she was terrifying.

"Oh, great, and let me guess: I get to keep her from breaking things?" Hicca's face paled at the thought. Please, oh please, let this be the year she didn't have to play human target for the she-devil.

"Actually, no. I have a more important job for you. You get to hide all the dragons."

Hicca gave a small frown, "From Oswald the Agreeable? Why?"

"Hicca, just because we've had peace with them for fifty years, doesn't mean they still can't go... well..." Stoick paused as he tried to find the right words.

"Berserk?" Gobber offered

"Exactly," Stoick agreed as he turned back to Hicca. "The dragons could be seen s a sign of aggression. Better blissful than bloody I always say."

Gobber poked his head out from behind the chief, "And the last thing we want is another Berserker skirmish. They tend to play for keeps."

Stoick's gaze turned serious once more, "Just hide the dragons, Hicca."

Hicca nodded with a worried look.

/LINE BREAK/

The next day, the teens set to work rounding up every dragon on the island of Berk, every single dragon from the small Terrible Terrors to the large Monstrous Nightmares were found and herded towards the beach.

"Back in line! Back in line! Everybody, in line!" Snotlout shouted as he flew behind a group of Gronckles. He turned to Hicca as she few alongside him, "Is Dagma coming? She's so cool!"

Hicca rolled her eyes as her cousin fawned over the crazed female, "Cool? Last time she was here, she used me as a knife throwing target."

Arvid gave a deep frown, "That girl should be locked up in a cage."

"That's what she did to me! She wouldn't let me eat for three days!" Fishlegs yelled in a scared tone.

He and Hicca both shuddered at the memory, Dagma had tormented him for days, calling him her new pet pig. She'd only let him out once she'd finally grown bored of him, that had been 2 years ago, but it still left a mark.

Snotlout on the other hand gave a laugh, "Then she force fed you rotten cod heads!"

Fishlegs face turned paler, "Thanks. I almost erased that from my memory."

A yell from Arvid pulled the others out of the memory, "Look out! Incoming Zippleback!"

Hicca and the others looked down in time to see a green two headed dragon hurtling up through the banks of dragons towards them, "Where's Ruffnut and Tuffnut?" She looked around for the twins, but pulled her attention back to the runaway dragon, just in time for her and Snotlout to quickly dodge out of the way as it zoomed past them.

Hang on... was that Barf and Belch? "Someone get that Dragon!"

"I'm on it!" Snotlout yelled to her as he quickly turned Hookfang around, rushing after the Zippleback. He soon caught up to it and flew his Nightmare in the air just above it, after a second to judge his distance, he jumped down onto one of the heads. But the two headed dragon didn't respond to the extra weight, it just carried on flying despite Snotlout's shouts.

"Snotlout, you need two riders." Hicca called as she flew alongside him. She turned to face the larger blond on her other side, "Fishlegs, get in there."

Fishlegs gave a nervous laugh as he eased closer, wanting to help, but not sure how. "Heh, I'm not sure this is really the best-" Before he could finish, Barf bumped against Meatlug, knocking the blond from his perch and dropping him onto the other dragon head.

But with the sudden weight now on its neck, the left dragon head started spewing a mist of green gas, Fishlegs gasped at the sight, allowing some of the fumes to enter. "Uh... I don't feel so good," He warned.

"It's the gas. Just try not to breathe any in," Hicca tried to help.

Unfortunately, Fishlegs' face had gone from only a little pale, to even paler with a hint of green. "Yeah, that ship has sailed."

Snotlout wasn't having much luck on Belch either, the right head tried to throw him off as he clung on tightly. "Whoa! Hey! Someone tell me how to work this thing."

"Whatever you do Snotlout, don't spark!" Hicca told him, her worried eyes following the large plume of green gas.

Of course, almost as soon as the words left her mouth, the left dragon head opened its mouth and sparked its tongue. It ignited the green smoke and exploded in Fishlegs and Snotlout's faces, throwing them off of the dragon and back onto Hookfang as he flew under them. While Barf and Belch took the chance to escape.

"Okay... Now I feel worse," Fishlegs swayed uneasily behind Snotlout.

"Then if I were you, I would not think of that rotten cod head sliding down your throat," The dark haired teen said with a smirk. Unfortunately that was enough to push Fishlegs from pale, to green.

Hicca didn't look as Snotlout gave a horrified yelp, it was his own fault anyway. "Wait here. I need find the twins to get that Zippleback under control before the Berserkers-"

Before she could say another word, a horn was sounded, bellowing over the island.

It was too late, the Berserker ships were on the horizon, and there was still a Hideous Zippleback on the loose.

"Great... Just great."

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca directed the other teens to hide the remaining dragons, then she landed Toothless near the forest and made him hid as well. Toothless was reluctant at first, but he didn't want Hicca getting into trouble because of him, so he did as asked.

She then ran towards the docks, just in time to watch the Berserker ships enter their dock. There were at least 20 of them in total, all lined with spiked shields, and the berserker crest painted proudly on their sails. Three of them drew closer, and one of them had Oswald and Dagma on it, Hicca had to tell her father the situation before they got here.

She ran down the docks to stand next to her father and Gobber, "Hey, Dad, there's something-"

"Not now, Hicca. Oswald is here," He shushed her with a wave of his and, just as one of the ships pulled up in front of them. Hicca quickly made sure her hair was tucked behind her ears neatly and her tunic was free of dirt, she was still the heir of Berk, she had to look presentable.

The gang plank was lowered and a large Berserker Viking stepped forward, a dark spear raised in his hand as he announced his chief. "Presenting, the high Chief of the Berserker tribe, cracker of skulls, slayer of beast, the great and fearsome... Dagur the Deranged!"

Hicca felt her heart stop at those words, as the Berserker Viking stood aside to reveal Dagma... or Dagur as the case maybe.

Before anyone could even utter another word, the female Berserker Chief plucked a knife from her belt and flicked it forward. Hicca thanked the gods for her quick reflexes, as she was barely able to duck in time, the small knife now lodged in the wooden beam she leaned against. Still, at least they knew for sure now, it was definitely Dagma in front of them.

No doubt her father and Gobber were just as confused as she was, they should have known something was up the moment the Viking had started his chief's introduction, Oswald had never liked them, he always found them too formal. But his daughter, she loved making an entrance. Speaking of Oswald... where was he.

"Dagma, where's your father?" Stoick asked in a serious tone, he didn't like surprises.

Dagma stepped forward and walked down the gangplank onto the dock, finally giving Hicca the chance to look at her fully, she had certainly changed a lot in only one year. Dressed in dark clothes, thick leather, shining metal, with blue painted scars across her eye and arm, she even seemed taller with a long horned helmet on her head. The only think that still looked the same after a year, was her long, red braid hanging down her back all the way to her hips.

"My father has been... retired," Dagma stated after a second of thought, twirling a large axe in one hand, ready to throw it at a moment's notice. "He lost his taste for blood. I, on the other hand, am starving," She cave a cackle as a bad feeling raced up Hicca's spine. "And it's 'Dagur' now, Dagma is no name for the chief of the Berserker tribe."

Hicca glanced up at her father as he frowned down at her, strangely enough, she did have a point. Dagur, god of the sun, did sound a lot more threatening that Dagma, maiden of the day.

The Berserker chief turned her attention back to Hicca's father, "So, where are you hiding them, Stoick?"

"Hiding what... Dagur?" Stoick frowned, not only did she suspect something, the new name would take some getting used to.

Dagma... Dagur... gave a glare, "Do I look stupid to you?"

"Trick question, don't answer it." Hicca had to really focus not to laugh at Gobber's comment.

Thankfully the other female took no notice of them, "We bother know what's going on here. I have it on excellent authority that you're amassing an army of dragons."

Hicca glanced up at her father again, but Stoick kept a calm exterior, "Excellent authority? And who would that be, Dagur?"

She rolled her eyes, "Never mind. Just know that if I find it to be true, then my armada will attack with the force of fifty thousand brave Berserker soldiers." Dagur gestured wildly with her axe, she was starting to lose her temper, and that was never a good thing.

The Berserkers standing behind Dagur all stiffened, each and every one of them ready for a fight, it's what the Berserker tribe was known for. But Stoick raised his hands and stayed calm, all they needed was for Dagur to sign the peace treaty, then they would be good for another year. "Stand down, Dagur. There won't be any need for the armada. Now let's get to the treaty."

Thankfully Dagur lowered her axe, "Yes, let's. According to the treaty, my visit starts with a tour of Berk, the Armoury, the feast in the Great Hall, the killing arena..." She paused and looked Stoick dead in the eye, "You do still kill dragons here, hmm?"

"Your father never found the tour necessary," Stoick stated, avoiding the question.

Dagur gave a croaked smirk, "As you can see, I'm not my father. Am I?"

She female may have been shorter than Stoick by a few inches, but that didn't stop her from giving a cocky grin as he glared down at her. Dagur certainly was different to her father, she didn't care about respect or discipline, and it was starting to get on Stoick's nerves very quickly.

Thankfully, Gobber caught his hand before Stoick could draw his sword. "Not in front of the armada," he muttered. Stoick glanced at the many ships on the shore, he gave a small sigh and removed his hand from his sword.

Thankfully, Dagur hadn't noticed. She was too busy looking around the docks, searching for a small auburn haired girl. Just because she was chief now, didn't mean she couldn't still have fun with her lovely little Hiccy, now did it?

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca had taken the very first opportunity to sneak away from Dagma, just the sight of the older girl still creeped her out. Dagma... Dagur... Whatever she was going by now. She was still that crazy berserker girl who would tease, torment and torture her as they were growing up.

And now she was chief... with an armada under her control.

"Oh, this is bad, this is bad. This is really bad," She muttered to herself as she ran through the village at the edge of the village. If Dagur found Barf and Belch, she'd hunt them down, gut them, kill them, and where their hide as a new cloak. "I have to find that Zippleback!"

Just as she passed an alleyway between two houses, Arvid jumped out and yanked her in, his urgency painfully clear. "Hicca, we have a problem."

"Oh, yeah, you're telling me?" Hicca stood shakily, "Dagma's the new Berserker Chief!"

Arvid's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, "What!?"

Hicca nodded with a grim look, "Yeah, her father 'retired'. Also, she's going by Dagur now, and she thinks we're hiding dragons."

"Well, we kind of are," Arvid gave a sideways glance. "Which brings us to our next problem."

Arvid pointed down at their feet, Hicca frowned but looked down as the blond instructed.

Imbedded in the mud at their feet, were Hideous Zippleback footprints, leading into the village. "Barf? Belch? Here?" Hicca's head started to spin as she whirled round, trying to spot the two headed green dragon. Thankfully it didn't take them long to spot the twin's dragon munching on some fish nearby, but just across the plaza and heading straight towards them, was the Berk tour, lead by Gobber, Dagur and Stoick.

Hicca and Arvid quickly jumped forward and grabbed the barrel of fish, carrying it between them, they quickly moved it behind one of the houses. Barf and Belch followed the fish and moved just in time as the small group came round the corner.

Hicca peeked round the corner to see Gobber and her father leading Dagur towards the Food Storage, the female chief already looking bored out of her mind. But she wasn't the only one, Barf and Belch soon had their fill of fish, and ran off in search of something more fun to do, giving Arvid and Hicca no other option than to run after it.

It was only by the luck of the gods that Dagur hadn't spotted them on her way out of the storage building, she was too busy complaining loudly about the lack of dragon-killing things. The two ran through the village, but it seemed the two-headed dragon had given them the slip.

"Where did it go?" Arvid asked.

But Hicca could only shake her head, "I have no idea. You keep looking, and I'll go warn my dad."

The blond nodded and the two ran in opposite directions, this would be a lot easier with their dragons, but it was already hard enough trying to hide on in the village.

Meanwhile Stoick and Gobber had show Dagur what she really wanted to see, the Armoury. All the weapons lined up on the walls and in barrels, it was like a toy store for her. She picked up one of the swords and started swinging it around in a wide arch, it was like some strange mix between expert swordsmanship and wild swings with a deadly weapon.

In her head, Dagur conjured up all kinds of imaginary dragons to fight, "Oh, youu want some of this, Gronckle? How 'bout you, Nadder? Hyah! That's right, plead for your pathetic dragon life!" She twirled the sword above her head and hurled it forward, the blade sank into the wood of a hanging shield almost completely, it was actually kind of impressive.

Stoick and Gobber watched from the sidelines, staying far away from the girls sword swings. "She's really got a handle on that whole 'deranged' thing," Gobber muttered, watching as Dagur drew her own sword and started another bought of battling imaginary monsters.

Stoick however, wasn't in the mood for jokes. Dagur's blatant disrespect was really starting to get under his skin, she was supposed to be a chief now, not some spoilt brat. "I'm about to make her eat this sword!" He growled as he plucked Dagur's fist sword out of the shield.

But once again Gobber stepped in, "Why don't we see to that treaty now?"

Dagur sheathed her sword and gave a groan, "You sound just like my father. 'Sign the treaty, Dagma.' 'Leave that chicken alone, Dagma.' 'Put down the axe, Dagma!'" The girl mimicked in a deep but whiny tone.

Stoick's frown deepened as he took a step towards the female chief, "Your father is a great man! And I'll not have you disrespect him!"

Dagur rolled her eyes, she smirked at Stoick, "My father was a coward. I intend to return the Berserkers to their former glory. Something he was incapable of doing."

Stoick glared back at her, he was really starting to get sick of Dagur's lack of respect, especially for her father and former chief. But just as he was about to snap at the child in front of him, he spotted a large green shape with two heads skulk passed the door. "Zippleback!"

Dagur's eyes flew open as she whirled round and drew her sword, "I knew it! Where is it? Ooh, let me kill it, let me kill it!"

Thankfully, Gobber had rushed over to the doors and shut them firmly, "He's joking, Dagur!" The blacksmith slung his arm over her shoulders and turned her around to face the opposite direction. "That Stoick, always the prankster. Tell me, Dagur, what are some of your deranged plans for the Berserker tribe?"

Dagur was suspicious, but soon gave into to her need to show off and started rattling off her new ad crazed ideas to Gobber.

Meanwhile, just outside the Armoury, Hicca was trying to find her father. She did not expect to find the very two headed dragon she'd been trying to hide, staring down at her from the roof. "Barf? Belch? Guys you can't be here!"

She had to get them out of here, but without the twins, how was she alone supposed to move them? Despite their lack of intelligence, Barf and Belch were extremely loyal, they only answered to Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "Oh, come on, what did they do?" Hicca thought hard to herself. "Okay, think like Ruffnut and Tuffnut... I can't believe I just said that."

Hicca held her hands up to the two dragon heads, trying to will them away as Dagur's voice drew closer. "Nice weapons, very clean, no blood stains, pity."

Dagur shoved the Armoury doors open and stepped outside, coming face to face with her favourite little auburn haired girl. "Hiccy! There you are."

The smaller female cracked open her eyes and peaked up at Dagur, if the other female look up for even a second, she would spot the two-headed dragon. Thank the gods her attention was focused on Hicca, on the bad side... all of older female's attention was focused on Hicca.

"D-Dagma! I-I mean Dagur! I was just thinking about you!"

The taller girl smirked as she leaned down to Hicca's height, "Oh? I was just thinking about you too."

"You... You were?" Hicca did not like the look on Dagur's face.

"Yeah... How old are you now, Hiccy? 15, right?" Her dark green eyes roamed up and down Hicca's body, while the smaller girl tried hard not to shudder. "Shouldn't you be growing some womanly curves by now? You're not hiding them from me are you?"

Hicca's cheeks blushed and deep red, she stumbled back and crossed her arms over her upper body as the other girl made a grab for her tunic, this was just another reason why being around the other girl made Hicca unbelievably uncomfortable. Dagma may have changed her name, and become chief, but she was still just as aggressively forward as she'd always been. Especially with her play things.

Suddenly Dagur threw her head back and gave a loud cackle, her laugh had always been weird. It would start off loud, and then dwindle down in to a giggle, then it would stop suddenly and her gaze would be fixed on a target. What she did with that target, was anyone's guess.

Just as expected, Dagur's cackle suddenly stopped, he gaze fixed on Hicca. "Oh, you're still so cute." She gave one last smirk before giving a sigh, "Bored again!"

She shoved past Hicca and stepped further into the open, but after a couple of steps, she stopped walking. "Just a moment... Something is going on here."

Hicca held her breathe as Dagur turned to face her, there was no way she could hide the Zippleback now. "I can explain," She quickly raised her hands.

The older female quickly turned to face her, her long braid swishing by her hips, "Where is it?"

"Look, it's just one drag-"

"Your leg."

Hicca stopped dead as Dagur gestured to her missing appendage, she quickly flicked her eyes up, no dragon there, thank the gods.

But before Hicca could try and explain it, Dagur turned to face her completely, "Never mind. I heard all about it."

"You heard all about what?" Hicca took another step back as Dagur stepped closer, her hips swaying as she walked and a crooked smirk on her lips.

"You. The Red Death. Defeated it all on your own." Dagur paused to let it sink in.

But Hicca quickly spoke up with a nervous laugh, "What? Me? Look at me. How is that even possible?"

Dagur returned the laugh in her own way, "Right? That's what I thought too, but then I heard about the trained dragons." Dagur continued to step closer to Hicca, "And that got... well... kind of tingly."

Hicca blushed again as Dagur seemed to purr at her, "Trained dragons? I do... I don't even... How would you train a dragon?"

"I don't know. How would you?" Dagur took one last stepped forward and leaned close to Hicca, the smaller girl could practically feel the other's breath on her cheeks at this distance.

Thankfully, Stoick and Gobber chose that time to emerge from the Armoury. "Alright, then. Whose hungry?" Hicca asked, quickly changing the subject.

"It's this was, Dagur," Stoick said as started moving towards the Great Hall.

At first Dagur followed as asked, but a sudden rumbled gargling sound caught their attention. As it turned out, Barf and Belch hadn't completely left the Armoury, and were now on the other side of the building, not even trying to stay quiet.

All eyes turned at the deep rumbling sound, and they all looked down at Hicca. "Oh, boy, am I hungry," Hicca patted her stomach with a nervous laugh. She doubted any of the Berserk would actually believe that such a sound could come from such a small girl, but her father was still there to keep them moving.

"I said, this way, Dagur!" Stoick directed the female chief and her men to follow Gobber, while he hung back to talk with Hicca. Dagur glanced back at the auburn haired girl, frowning slightly before turning to follow her troops. "Get that dragon out of here!" He whispered harshly.

Hicca nodded and quickly ran around to the other side of the Armoury, coming face to face with the two-headed dragon. Barf and Belch both had a plank of wood gripped tightly in their mouths, pulling it back and forth like a game of war. Hicca soon realised these two wouldn't listen to her any time soon, there were only two people on the island they would obey.

"We need the twins."

/LINE BREAK/

After making sure Barf and Belch had enough Dragon Nip to keep them busy, Hicca ran over to the Thorston house to meet up with Arvid. But what she didn't expect was for Toothless to also be there.

"Toothless? What are you doing here?" Hicca asked as she knelt down to scratch the dragons chin.

The Night Fury looked to the side and gave a apologetic gurgle, he knew he wasn't supposed to be there but he couldn't help himself.

"He must have been worried about you," Arvid guessed with a knowing smile.

Hicca gave a sigh, but then looked at Toothless with a warm smile, "I guess so. Well, as long as no one sees you, we should be fine. Any luck finding the twins?" She asked, looking up at Arvid.

"I spotted Tuffnut going inside just now, I was about to go in when Toothless showed up."

"Alright then, let's take a look," Hicca said as she stepped forward and pushed the door open.

But at first, it looked like no one was home, the house seemed bare. Then Tuffnut made his appearance, suddenly swinging down from the ceiling, his knees wrapped around one of the rafters. "What are you doing here?"

Hicca and Arvid jumped back as the male twin swung between them, the auburn haired girl took a breath to calm herself. "Hey, Tuffnut, feel like talking?"

Arvid on the other hand glared at the upside down male, "Um, can you come down?"

Tuffnut shrugged, "Whatever." He unhooked his legs and flipped down in front of the other two, wobbling slightly at the head rush. "Whoa... Yeah, I love that part."

"Look, about Barf and Belch," Hicca stepped forward. "We need you and Ruffnut to get your dragon under control."

But Tuffnut frowned and shook his head, "Uh-uh. No. No, thank you. I am officially out of the dragon business... and the sister business... and the dragon and sister business... The dri-stis-der-ness."

Hicca and Arvid glanced at each other, then the blond shook his head and stepped forward, "What's going on with you two?"

"Simple." Tuffnut turned to the side and picked up a wooden spoon from the side table, holding it up for the others to see, "You know what this is?"

"Uh, a spoon?" Hicca guessed.

But the male twin just frowned, "No, it's _our_ spoon. Just like this is _our_ dish, and _our_ axe, and _our_ well-groomed stuffed yak." Tuffnut gestured around the room before turning back to the others, the situation slowly becoming clearer to them. "Everything is ours. I'm sick of ours. Just once I want something to be just _mine_!" He gave a heavy sigh. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pack up my half of the yak and go."

That caught Hicca's attention, "Go? Where?"

Tuffnut gave a shrug, "I don't know. To my dark, soggy, alone place. Not to cry." He sighed again and looked around the small room, "This house, it has too many memories."

Before the other's could say anything, Tuffnut picked up an axe leaning against the wall and walked out the front door.

"Tuff!" Hicca called after him, but he just kept walking.

Arvid was quiet for a second, then he turned to Hicca with a frown. "Dark, soggy, alone place?"

She turned to face him, "Yeah... I really don't want to know."

Hicca wanted to be more worried about the twins, but right now she also had to get to the Great Hall for the big toast, she told Toothless to hide and took off into a run. It was hard enough having to handle Dragon related problems, but today she also had to fulfil her duties as heiress as well... Hicca would be happy when this day was over.

She snuck into the Great Hall via the side entrance, quickly taking her seat next to her father, well aware that she was the smallest person there, so hopefully no one wound notice her. "Did you get that Zippleback under control?" He whispered to her in question.

"We're working on it," She hissed back.

They both looked up as Dagur stood and raised her cup, "A toast! To death in battle!"

She gave a wide grin, until Stoick held up his own tankard, "To your father! To Oswald!"

Everyone else including Hicca raised their drinks to the former Berserker Chief, while Dagur slumped back in her chair. "Fine, whatever! To Oswald! To Oswald! Blah blah blah! Ugh!" With a final grunt, Dagur picked up her knife and slamming into the table, the knife penetrating threw her food and wooded plate to get to the table beneath.

Gobber cleared his throat and stood, "Well, on that cheery note, shall we sign the treaty and send you on your way?" The blacksmith held up an unfurled piece of parchment, the two crests of the Hooligan and Berserker tribe shown at the bottom.

Dagur's temperament switched as she gave a large smile, "Great idea! Let's sign that treaty. Bring us the dragon's blood!"

There was a pause as the female chief's words sank in. "Uh... did you say dragon's blood?"

Stoick gave a deep chuckle, "Don't be ridiculous, Dagur. Your father and I haven't signed the treaty in dragon's blood for years."

Dagur glanced at the Hooligan chief with a smirk. "Why would that be a problem, Stoick? Unless, of course, you don't kill dragons anymore."

"We still kill dragons," Stoick assured her.

"The problem is, we've killed so many, there isn't a dragon within two hundred miles-" Of course, as soon as Gobber gave the excuse, a deep rumble shook the Great Hall, the large doors at the front of the hall burst open as Barf and Belch jumped in. "Except that one."

At the sight of so many enemy Vikings, the two headed dragon rushed out of the Great Halls' side door. At first everyone was frozen at the sight, including Hicca, but the silence was broken when Dagur gave a loud cackle. "The Zippleback! It's a sign. A head for each Chief! It's going to be amazing! Tonight, we hunt dragon!"

Dagur's speech and actions grew more and more frantic and jumpy the more excitable she became, she jumped onto the table a waved her sword in the air, calling for her men to join her. They responded with vigour as their chief called them to action, chanting over and over, all wanting to spill blood as Berserkers do best.

"You need to find the Zippleback before he does," Stoick whispered to Hicca.

Hicca nodded, while Dagur and her Berserkers rushed out of the side door after the Zippleback, Hicca used the commotion to sneak out of the Great Hall via the main doors, she had to find Arvid and the others. If they were going to find Barf and Belch before the Berserkers, they needed the help of their dragons too.

/LINE BREAK/

Soon the Hicca, Arvid, Fishlegs and Snotlout were on their dragons and flying low over the forest, trying to locate the twins, whilst also trying not to be seen. Without the twins they had no hope of controlling the two-headed dragon, so the other teens had to find them first.

"Hicca, you heard Tuffnut. He went to his dark, soggy, alone place. That could be anywhere." Arvid called from on top of Stormfly.

"Not really, That could only be one place." The others turned to Snotlout with confused looks, "What?"

"Why didn't you say something!?" Hicca yelled in annoyance.

"Why didn't you ask?"

"Snotlout, we've been looking for them all day!" Arvid yelled at the dark haired male.

But Snotlout just shrugged back, "And?"

Arvid glared at the other male with his piercing blue eyes, "And if you don't start talking right now, I'm gonna throw you off that dragon!"

Snotlout raised his hands and spoke calmly, "No need to get violent. He's probably at the lost cavern. The twins used to play hide and go kill there when they were kids."

"Arvid, you and Snotlout take the south entrance of the cavern. Fishlegs and I will take the north."

The others followed Hicca's instructions, even though Arvid wasn't keen on being partnered with Snotlout. The Nightmare and Nadder swooped off to the left, while the Night Fury and Gronckle kept flying straight.

They reached the cave a little while later, Hicca and Fishlegs landed on the northern entrance, while Arvid and Snotlout landed on the southern side. Each pair used some spare torches and their dragon's heightened senses to guide them through the dark tunnels.

The cavern seemed to stretch on for ages, Hicca held her torch up to the walls, looking out for any hiding places the twins might be. But so far, the cavern just grew darker and gloomier the further they delved, well at least Tuffnut's name for it was apt.

Just then, Hicca's torch light picked out something among the rocks. "Tuffnut?"

The hunched over blond shielded his eyes from the torch light, "Oh, you guys again. Would you quit following me!?"

Hicca was about to respond, when Tuffnut's words seemed to echo back at them, only in a much higher pitch.

"Would you quit following me!?"

"Did you guys hear that?" Hicca asked allowed.

"Duh. It's called an echo," Snotlout's annoying tone sounded from the other side of the stone wall.

Hicca decided they needed a little more light down here. "Toothless, plasma blast!"

She used their new hand signals to direct Toothless' fire, the dragon open his maw and fired a purple blast upwards, giving the cave another source of light from the glowing embers. From behind the very rock wall that Tuffnut had been leaning against, emerged the other teens and their dragons, with Ruffnut in tow.

"What are you doing in my soggy place!?" Tuffnut stood with a frown.

"This is my soggy place! And I'm not sharing it with you!" Ruffnut yelled back.

Before the two could start another fight, Hicca threw her torch down and jumped in between them, she'd had enough of the twins fighting. "Okay, listen, please. We need to get you guys to your dragon. It's important."

"Barf and Belch are in real trouble," Arvid added.

"I'll go! But not with her," Tuffnut glared at his female counterpart.

Ruffnut glared back, "I'm not going anywhere with _her_ either!"

"Yeah!... Wait, what?"

Hicca felt like her head was going to explode, "No, you don't understand. You both have to go! Guys, listen. Like it or not, your connected to each other, and the two of you are connected to that dragon, Just like me with Toothless." She honestly felt like a mother telling off two children, "We can get you another spoon, another dish, another stuffed yak. What we can't get you is another Barf and Belch!"

The twins weren't glaring at each other anymore, but they still didn't say anything to one another.

"Do you think they got any of that?" Hicca whispered to Arvid, hoping something got through to the two.

For a while the silence hung in the air, then Tuffnut slowly glanced up at Ruffnut, and she did the same to him. There was another long silence, then at once the twins each spat into their palms. They turned and clapped their hands together in a handshake, followed by the two banging their heads together. Like their own secret apology.

"They got it," Arvid muttered to Hicca with a smirk.

"Okay, let's go. We're out of time," The auburn haired girl said as she stepped forward.

"So why is this so important, anyway?" The male twin asked.

"The Berserkers are hunting down your dragon to use its blood for ink." All the teens slowly turned to stare at Snotlout with wide eyes. "What? Is that not what's happening?"

Without another thought the twins ran towards the entrance to the cavern, a little while later, all of the teens were on dragon back. Ruffnut riding on Toothless with Hicca, and Tuffnut riding on Stormfly with Arvid.

They finally found the two-headed dragon trudging through the forest, when Barf and Belch spotted them, they roared up in greeting. "There they are! We got to get you guys down there," Hicca said to the twins.

But the roar was heard by the Vikings, one ones who'd been tracking the dragon all this time. Ropes were thrown around the Zippleback's necks and body, keeping it pinned to the ground. As more Viking's rushed into the clearing to hold the dragon down, the teen dragon riders were forced to land in the trees, or else they'd be spotted.

"What are we doing here!? We have to get our dragon!" Ruffnut tried to push Hicca forward.

But Hicca shook her head, "We can't afford to be spotted by the Berserkers."

With the dragon restrained, Dagur strut forward, followed closely by Stoick and Gobber. She licked her lips in anticipation, her heart pounding as her eyes roamed over the dragon in front of her. She was going to kill this beast, she would slice its heads off, cut it open from top to tail, and take it home as a souvenir. And of course sign the treaty with its blood, that was also an important step.

She stopped in front of the dragon's right head, loving the way it looked up at her with such a scared look. She reached over her shoulder and pulled her long sword free from its scabbard, savouring the feeling of the weapons weight in her hand, swords would always be her favourite weapon.

Dagur pointed the blade at the dragon, then gripped the handle tightly in both hands and raised it high above her head, her eyes wide in excitement and goose bumps breaking out on her skin.

She swung the sword down in a wide arch, but her whole body stiffened as her blade connected with another.

"How... dare... you?" Dagur hissed as she slowly turned to see Stoick, holding out the sword that blocked hers. Her eyes narrowed in a deep frown, as she glared venom daggers at Hooligan chief.

"How dare _you_?" Stoick turned on the female chief. "We're supposed to slay this dragon together, and that's what we'll do, in the arena, where dragon killing is done."

Dagur's shoulders tensed as she tried to keep her body still, it was either that, or she was going to stab the man in front of her. No one took away her kill, no one. But in this case, she would have to make an exception. Not that she didn't like the idea of fighting another tribe, who didn't love a good war? But right now, she wanted to kill that dragon more, she wanted her kill.

She glared at Stoick, but sheathed her sword, flicking her long braid back over her shoulder. Then she turned to her men and gave the order, "To the arena!"

The Berserkers bound the dragon tightly and started dragging it back toward the village, leaving the teens to watch from the trees helplessly. At least Stoick had given them more time.

Once the clearing was free of Vikings, the teens dismounted from their dragons.

"The Chief's not gonna let them kill our dragon... Is he?" The twins asked in unison.

Hicca looked at them with a worried look, "He won't have a choice unless we can figure out a plan."

Snotlout gave a smirk, "I have a plan. One word: Annihilate!" He threw his fist forward in an attack fashion, unintentionally giving Hookfang the signal to attack. The Nightmare shot out a stream of fire, skimming the top of Snotlout's helmet. The dark haired male slowly turned with a growl, "Hookfang!"

Arvid did his best to hold back a chuckle, "Or not."

But the wheels in Hicca's had already started turning, "Actually, that could work!"

The others looked at her with raised eyebrows, so Hicca quickly thought out a plan and explained it to the others.

/LINE BREAK/

Back at the arena on the edge of the village, the Berserkers had dragged Barf and Belch into the centre of the ring. Dagur was excitedly hopping from one foot to the other, while Gobber and Stoick were desperately trying to think of a way to delay the female chief, at least until Hicca thought of a plan like she normally did.

Gobber stood in the area and read out the treat, trying to buy them some more time, "According to the treaty, the killing of the dragon... must be-"

"Bored!" Dagur groaned and shoved Gobber out of the way. "I want the head on the right," she stalked forward with her sword held high, ready to decapitate the dragon.

Stoick couldn't wait for Hicca any longer, he had to stop Dagur now. He pushed past Gobber, ignoring the blond mans pleas to stand down, "I'm putting a stop to this. If it means war, it means war." He couldn't let a dragon be killed on his island, not after everything they done, they was as much a part of his tribe as any Hooligan Viking. He drew his own sword and snuck up behind Dagur, her men too preoccupied with holding the dragon down to notice him.

He fully intended on striking down the younger female down, but a sudden scream rang out. Stoick and Dagur both turned, recognising Hicca's voice anywhere

Hicca, Fishlegs and Arvid ran into the arena, "Help! Dragon Attack!"

She pointed up to the chain roof of the arena, where Hookfang was clawing his way down towards them. Snotlout stood just out of range for the Berserkers to see him, and gave the order to attack. The Nightmare shot out a stream of liquid fire, striking the Berserker shields and starting the dragon attack off with a florish.

"What is going on?" Gobber asked in confusion.

Stoick gave him a nudge and a glare, "Gobber, dragon attack."

It clicked in Gobber's head finally, "Oh, Dragon attack! Everyone out of here!"

Stormfly and Meatlug flew in through the main entrance, finding Arvid and Fishlegs hiding behind the wooden structures. Without saying anything the two blonds gave the attack hand signals they'd practiced, Stormfly fired he spines, while Meatlug launched herself at the enemy Vikings.

Dagur ignored the tied up dragon at her feet, and turned her attention to the dragons running amuck over the arena, someone had to take them down, starting with the big one. She was about to rush forward and attack, when a pair of large beef arms wrapped tightly around her middle, pinning her arms to her side and lifting her off the ground.

"We must protect our honoured guests!" The blond blacksmith yelled in her ear.

She growled in annoyance and thrust her arms back, throwing the blacksmith off of her. She turned and pointed her sword at him, "Run if you want, but Dagur the Deranged will not retreat!"

She spun around to find the Zippleback behind her rising to its feet, glaring and hissing down at her. Without the Berserkers there to tie them down, Barf and Belch were finally free to fight back. Just then the two headed dragon flicked its eyes up, just long enough to spot two blond twins running into view, they stopped just short of the chained ceiling above the main entrance.

"Barf, gas," Ruffnut whispered as she made a motion in front of her mouth. Barf responded by letting out a long stream of green gas, which plumed in front of them like an ominous cloud.

"Belch, spark," Tuffnut whispered as he snapped his fingers in front of his face. Belch did as he was asked and sparked his tongue, igniting the green fumes.

Just as Dagur was about to strike with her sword, the blast sent her flying backwards, she hit the stone wall with a thud and collapsed in a heap on the ground. She shook her head to force away the dizziness, but was greeted with a tail swipe to the stomach, directed by Arvid of course.

Meanwhile the twins were doing well directing their dragon, even though they were still using two sets of hand signals. What Hicca said had been perfectly true, they couldn't control one dragon with two commands, but they could control each of the heads separately. While Tuffnut told Belch to pick up and throw another Berserker to the side, Ruffnut directed Barf to head butt another.

Both twins then gave the same signal and directed their dragon towards them, thankfully they were standing together this time instead of on opposite sides.

But Dagur wasn't about to let her prize escape. She quickly picked up a fallen spear and took aim at the exiting dragon, then she hurled it forward. But just as the spear flew towards its target, it was snatched out of the air by a set of razor sharp teeth, belonging to a large ebony black dragon.

The red haired female gasped in awe as Toothless stood in front of her. "Whoa! A Night Fury! They do exist!" For once, Dagur didn't know what to do next. Not once, since becoming chief, did she ever freeze in a fight, not even in all her years as Dagma. But right now, she could only stand still, both in awe and the unnatural feeling of fear as the dragon gave a growl.

She didn't know what to do.

"Back, you fiend, you!"

Dagur whirled round to see Hicca running towards them, a shield in one hand and a small knife in the other. Dagur was even more surprised now, seeing a real Night Fury right in front of her was one thing, but Hicca... protecting her? Was this real, or one big dream.

"You'll not harm my friend, Dagur." Hicca spoke again, gesturing to the other female with a wave of her shield, and 'accidently' hitting her in the face in the process.

But Dagur didn't care, she was too busy admiring the smaller girl in front of her. Her little Hiccy was standing up to a Night Fury, to protect her, and called her a friend, Dagur felt like she was going to go weak at the knees. The auburn haired girl looked really good like this, this new bravery was a very attractive quality, if she wasn't careful, Dagur would start drooling.

It was a good thing Dagur was distracted, otherwise she would have seen Hicca giving Toothless the signal to fire.

Toothless fired at the two girls, trusting Hicca completely. The smaller girl grabbed Dagur and pulled her out of the way, pushing her towards the exit to the arena. The purple blast hit the wall but several more dragon fires followed, Dagur didn't bother looking back, she instead trusted Hicca and let the smaller girl push her forward.

As they approached the entrance, Hicca gave Dagur another push forward, the older female was so distracted at the time, that she stumbled forward onto the ground.

"Please, Dagma, save yourself!"

It had been a simple slip of the tongue on Hicca's part, calling Dagur by her real name. But for Dagur, it was like a sign. She turned and for once in her life, literally looked up at Hicca, watching as she fought and protected people. It gave her chills up her spine, seeing how much Hicca had grown, and how alike they were.

Suddenly Hicca was gone, and Dagur could only watch as she rushed forward to attack. But the Night Fury jumped forward and pinned Hicca underneath her shield, she pushed back while her father rushed over to help her, pulling on the dragon's tail to try and dislodge the beast.

Dagur was about to jump forward when a blast of fire struck the wall next to her. She looked up to see the Nightmare glaring down at her, when the dragon gave a roar, Dagur thought it best to follow Hicca's wishes.

"Berserkers, to the boats!" The female chief ordered. He men followed the ordered and fled the arena and back to the docks.

But Gobber called out after them, "What about the treaty!?"

Dagur gave a growl and turned back to face him, how could he be thinking of a piece of paper while dragons were attacking? "Consider it signed!" She yelled before turning back and following after her men, her mind and soul praying that her little Hiccy would be alright, and that they would meet again soon.

Once the Berserkers were finally out of range, everything in the arena calmed down. The Dragons and Vikings could stop fighting now, the Berserkers were finally gone.

Stoick let go of Toothless' tail, looking around to make sure everyone was alright, Thankfully their little performance had worked. He turned back to his daughter, "Well done, Hicca. I doubt we'll be seeing much more of Dagur the Deranged."

Hicca gave a small nod, "Let's hope so."

But at the same time, she couldn't quite shake the feeling. Dagur wasn't the type of person to just disappear, they'd see each other again, some day.

 _I used to think four heads was a little crazy, and I wasn't wrong. But I'd take crazy over berserk and day of the week._

End of episode 15.

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 **Chapter 15 finally done :) Really loving this episode, like I said, Dagur is my fav villain :)**

 **And... yeah, he's a she in this... kind of. I've only read one other fanfic with a Fem!Dagur before so I'm guessing this is still a first for most, which is one of the reasons why I kept her name the same for the most part. :)**

 **Also, a lot of people have requested it, so the answer is 'Yes'. I will be continuing into the Race to the Edge seasons. I just finished watching season 2, and I love it! It will take me a while to get there, especially at this pace, but it shall be done :)**

 **Let me know what you think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


	16. Defiant One

**DISCLAIMER**

 **I still own nothing, see Chapter 1 for full details :)**

 **Chapter 16 finally here :) The first Hiccup/Hicca and Snotlout centric episode, should be interesting :) Also, was I the only one who found that title a little too profound for this episode? Anyway, enjoy :)**

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 **Episode 16**

 **Defiant One**

 **Hiccup – Hicca**

 **Astrid – Arvid**

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 _The life of a Viking can be difficult, harsh, and stormy. Nobody could make it though alone. Eventually you're going to have to rely on someone. Unfortunately we do not always get to pick that someone._

Hicca held up an arm to shield her eyes, the cold wind felt like needles pricking at her skin, making it difficult to focus on the horizon and ocean below. The five dragons flew through the sky with Toothless in the lead, Hookfang flapped his wing until he was flying alongside.

"This is so lame! Why are we even out here?" Snotlout yelled from Hicca's left side.

"Because this is our first dragon search and rescue mission!" She yelled back.

"I see a lot of searching but not much rescuing! Do you even know where we are?"

Hicca gave a small sigh, she should be used to her cousins constant complaining by now. "My dad said the fishing boat was last seen heading South."

Snotlout paused for a moment, "You don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing down there! I say we go North."

Stormfly flanked Hicca on the right. "And if Hicca said to go North?" Arvid questioned with a knowing look.

The was a pause as Snotlout thought for a moment, no matter what Hicca said, Snotlout would always want to do the opposite. "Are you trying to mess with my mind? Because nothing gets in here, nothing!" He yelled back at the blond.

Hicca and Arvid just stared at him. Nothing gets into his mind? That must include common sense. The blond male gave a deep sigh and looked over his shoulder, "What does our map say, Fishlegs?"

Fishlegs held the large map out in front of him, trying to read it as the wind whipped past, almost threatening to tear the parchment right out of his hands. "Uh, kind of tough to read from this angle."

"You know what, Hicca?" Snotlout yelled again. "I'm done listening to you! I said North, and North is where I'm going." He gave Hookfang's horns a jerk, but the large nightmare only growled in response. He leaned over to look into the dragon's wide yellow eyes, "Hey! You work for me!"

With another roar, Hookfang took off into the air, forcing a surprised scream from the male Viking on his neck. He rose sharply into the air and looped over the group, heading in the direction they'd just come.

"Are we just going to let him go?" Ruffnut wondered aloud.

"Works for me," Tuffnut shrugged beside her.

As Snotlout flew away, Hicca took a deep breath, finally relaxing in the peace and quiet. But the sound of a throat clearing to her right made her turn. Arvid looked at her with an un-amused look.

Hicca gave a groan, she was the leader of the group, so Snotlout was her responsibility. "Ugh. I'm going, I'm going. Lead the others back, we'll get him. Come on bud." She patted Toothless on the head and pulled him back, spinning to face North and fly after Hookfang and Snoltout.

While the others continued to fly South, Hicca and Toothless flew through the clouds in the opposite direction. But soon the clouds started to become thicker and darker, the Night Fury flew downwards and closer to the ocean, finally allowing them to see the cause of the thick cloud cover.

In front of them they finally spotted the dark silhouette of Hookfang and Snotlout. But in front of them, the clouds were swirling and rumpling, the seas growing rougher and rougher below them, while the air rushed past fast and with more force.

"Wow, look at the size of that waterspout," She thought aloud. Toothless picked up speed until they were close enough for Hicca to yell at her cousin. "That waterspout is way too dangerous!"

"That's why I'm flying around it. Duh!" The darker haired male yelled back. But as he steered left to circle around the storm, he didn't take into account just how strong the winds were.

"You're flying too close!" Hicca tried to keep a safe distance away from the storm while calling towards Snotlout. But as they grew closer still, Hookfang started to struggle against the rushing current. "Look out!"

A sudden gust of wind shoved Hookfang back, his large wings catching the air and sending him tumbling into the dark clouds. Hicca heard the Nightmare's roars as Snotlout screamed, he'd been insulting Hicca only a few short minuets ago, but now he was calling for her help.

"We're coming!" Toothless beat his wings as hard as he could, trying to keep his balance in the rushing wind. Hicca lost sight of them in the clouds at one point, but Snotlout's screams directed her forward until she was able to spot his spinning mass amongst the swirling grey.

Toothless cased after him and quickly caught him in his talons, Hicca was still searching for Hookfang, but the storm was just getting worse and worse. "Toothless! Get us out of here!"

As the wind beat against them and whipped at their skin and clothes, the Night Fury pushed harder against the current, almost making it out of the storms reach. But the sound of tearing fabric caught Hicca's attention.

She whipped her head round just in time to see Toothless's fake tail fin being torn from its metal frame, "Oh, no! Snotlout! Hang on!"

Hicca's words were soon covered by screams as Toothless was ripped out of the sky and into the storm, the two Vikings dragged in with him. They were thrown from the storm's grip and sent tumbling through the air. Hicca let out another scream as large sharp rocks seemed to rise from the rough seas, Toothless swerved right and left to dodge them, but he couldn't remain air born for much longer.

Then everything went dark.

/LINE BREAK/

Back at Berk, Gobber and Stoick were at the docks when the teens arrived back.

"Oh, there they are," Gobber pointed out as the teens and their dragons landed.

Stoick stepped forward to meet them, "I'm glad you're back. The boat has returned."

"Could've told us that before we left," Tuffnut mumbled, annoyed that their mission had been for nothing.

Stoick looked up at him with a glare, "Excuse me?"

The twins jumped down as Tuffnut stuttered an answer, "Um, nothing, Chief. That was her" He pointed an accusing finger towards his sister while she glared back at him.

"Where's Hiccup?" Stoick asked, noticing that his son wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"He had to double back to get Snotlout," Arvid explained promptly, taking his role as second in command very seriously.

Stoick gave a frown as his eyes flickered between the riders and the dark sky, the wind was picking up and a storm was in the air. If Hicca wasn't back soon, then she and Snotlout would both be caught in it.

Gobber saw his friends concern and patted him on the shoulder, "Nothing to worry about, Stoick. You know how hard it is to get her off that dragon."

Stoick gave a stiff nod and turned back towards the village.

/LINE BREAK/

As the darkness started to clear, Hicca awoke on the dark island.

She found herself lying on the ground by a ground of blackened trees, her head spinning from the crash. Hicca slowly pushed herself up and waiting for the spinning to stop. She had to find Toothless and Snotlout, hopefully they weren't too badly hurt.

"Toothless? Where are you? Snotlout?" She called out as she started walking forward. As she looked around, she heard a not too far off a deep rumbling growl. She could recognise Toothless anywhere, so she started running towards the sound.

She spotted the Night fury lying in a dried up river bed, moaning deeply and not moving much. "Toothless!" She jumped down and ran towards him, kneeling in front of him to stroke the top of his head. "Are you okay? Come on, talk to me bud."

Thankfully, the dragon gave a soft gurgle and licked her cheek, "Oh thank Thor. That wasn't out best landing was it, was it?" She rounded the dragon to see damage done to his tail, "Great, your tail is gone, and the connecting rod is a mess! What are we supposed to do now?" She asked as she turned back to Toothless.

"You can start be getting me out of this stupid tree!" A voice yelled from above.

Toothless and Hicca both looked up to see the dark haired male hanging upside down from a tree branch. Without having to be asked, Toothless shot a blast upward, breaking the branch that had ensnared Snotlout.

The male Viking came crashing down, landing hard on his back in front of Hicca and Toothless. Hicca tried to hide her grin as she stepped forward to check on him. "Well, that looked like it hurt."

Snotlout only gave a groan and shook his head slowly, Hicca leaned closer, worried that Snotlout might have actually hurt himself. "You sure? Can you talk?"

In a slow and wheezy voice, Snotlout answered, "Go... suck... rocks!"

Hicca stood up straight with an annoyed look. "Hey, he's back! Lucky us." As Snotlout stood and brushed himself off, Hicca looked around the terrain, "Hey, where's Hookfang?"

Snotlout stood up straight and looked around, as though suddenly realise the large red dragon wasn't with them. "Hookfang!" He took off running towards a cliff, looking out over the foggy grey island. "Hookfang, where are you? Hookfang, you get over here right now! Hookfang! Hookie! Fangster!"

After the sixth yell, Hicca decided to stop him. "I don't think he's here, Snotlout."

For a moment, Snotlout look genuinely worried, but then he went back to annoyance over his dragon. "Obviously! Pig-headed dragon."

Hicca stepped closer, "Don't worry. We'll find him. Now all we have to do is figure out how to get out of here."

Hicca got to work and started looking around the rocky shoreline they had been washed up on. The debris from old ships and other wreckages had washed up on the rocks from the storm, so thankfully Hicca had a lot to work with. Most of the main metal structure of Toothless's tail had survived the crash, so Hicca just had to find a large enough piece of fabric to tie to it.

"Okay, that should work." She commented as she tied the fabric securely to the metal. "This might be a little tougher though, she turned and picked up a connecting rod that had been bent on impact, hopefully she could straighten it back into place. She walked over to a large rock and inserted it between the two stones, pushing on the other end to try and bend it back into shape. This would be so much easier is she was back at the forge.

Unfortunately, the metal rod decided to fight back. As Hicca pushed down, the metal sprang back and hit Hicca in the temple. She cried out and stumbled back in both pain and annoyance.

Her annoyance wasn't help when Snotlout spoke up from his spot on a nearby rock. "There's nothing to eat in here, Hicca! What kind of search and rescue mission is this?"

Hicca didn't even try to ask why Snotlout was rummaging through her stuff, it just felt like too much work. "Uh, instead of complaining, why don't you try helping?"

"I am trying to help you! I'm trying to teach you about survival. You don't leave home without proper supplies, and on top of that list is food" On some level, Snotlout did have a point, but it would have been better if he hadn't been gesturing at her with a small roll of bread.

"Food. Like the food in you hand?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Snotlout looked at the roll in his hand, as if only just noticing it was there. "You mean this tiny morsel? It's barely even worthy of being call a-"

Before he could finish his rant, Hicca stormed over and snatched the piece of food out of his hands, her long hair flaring behind her as she glared at him angrily. "We've got bigger things to worry about than some bread"

Suddenly Toothless jumped in from the side, grabbing the roll of bread in his mouth and gobbling it down. Hicca didn't mind too much, Toothless had been flying all day, he deserved a snack. But Snotlout didn't agree.

"He took my bread! What kind of dragon takes a man's bread? You know, his bad manners are a reflection on you!"

Hicca really didn't have the energy to argue about his own behaviour, she had to focus on fixing Toothless's tail so they could get off the island. She when back over to the metal rod, still wedged between the two rocks. She gripped it with both hands and tried to pull it straight, but it refused to budge.

The male teen gave an annoyed sigh, "Give me that. You're doing it all wrong. You need to put some muscle into it." He shoved Hicca aside and took the metal rod from her, "Oops, I forgot. You can't."

He gave a loud laugh and gripped the rod tightly in both hands.

But he was bending it in the wrong way, Hicca noticed and tried to warn him. "No, no, no. Be careful with that, or it might-"

There was a sudden metallic twang, as Snotlout snapped the metal rod in two. Hicca just stared in disbelief for a while before slapping her hand over her face, Snotlout just frowned in question.

"You wanted two of them, right?"

Hicca's patients was really starting to wear thin, "Nope! That was our only hope of getting home."

Snotlout through his hands up in annoyance, he'd only been trying to help, he didn't understand why Hicca was getting so wound up. "It's not my fault you dragon has half a tail. Just get another rod."

"Don't you understand?" Hicca turned to yell at him. "We have no idea where we are!"

Suddenly, Toothless's ear twitched up and he gave a growl. Hicca switched from angry at Snotlout, to alert of her surroundings.

"You hear that?"

"Over there."

The two voices grew closer, so Hicca quickly gestured for Toothless and Snotlout to follow her behind a small outcrop. From behind the outcrop, they heard the heavy stomping of footprints reach the spot where they'd just been standing. Hicca peaked out through a hole in the rocks, trying to see the people on the other side, trying to remember where she had hear those voices before.

"What do you see?" Snotlout whispered as quietly as he could, which actually wasn't that quiet.

"Would you be quiet?" Hicca hissed at him. "For all we know, we could be on a hostile island."

Snotlout rolled his eyes, "Don't be such a baby. How hostile can it be?"

He pushed Hicca a little to see through the same rocky gap, both of them still trying to see the who the loud voices belonged to.

"Those are wild dragon tracks alright," one of the voices said, having found Toothless's footprints.

"Good, I feel like killing."

Hicca turned to Snotlout with a frown, "Is that hostile enough for you?"

Finally the owners of the gruff voices came into view, they wore dark armour and a horned helmet that wrapped around to cover part of their face. The large Viking quickly turned, forcing Hicca and Snotlout to jump to the side to avoid being spotted.

"Nothing here," the gruff voice sounded. The two teens breathed a sigh of relief, as Hicca turned to Snotlout with a worried look. She finally recognised the voices on the other side of the rocks, it wasn't that long ago when the owners of those voices and their leader had kidnapped her. "I know where we are now."

Savage, Alvin's right hand man, and another outcast were just within spitting distance of the two hooligans and the Night Fury.

"That was Savage. Snotlout, we're on Outcast Island."

Once Savage and his lackey were out of ear shot, Hicca, Snotlout and Toothless edged their way around the dried out river. Hicca's eyes were fixed on the ground as she fiddled with two half of metal rod of Toothless's tail, "I can't believe this! We've really got to fix this connecting rod and get out of here, or we're both dead."

Hicca turned, expecting Snotlout to at least be taking things a little seriously. But, no. The male teen was instead munching happily on a handful of berries, seemingly not paying any attention to Hicca what so ever.

"Um, Snotlout. I'm not so sure you should be eating those berries."

Snotlout finally looked up at her with a frown, "Well, I'm not sure you should be telling me what to eat." He pointed an accusing finger at Toothless, "Especially after you took my bread."

Hicca rolled her eyes, "Those berries could be poisonous."

"Hey, we're on Outcast Island. We're going into battle. We need our strength, a concept you know nothing about."

"Battle the Outcast Really? Just the two of us?" They were hardly in a position to fight anyone as they were, they had no weapons, no knowledge of the area, and no escape plan in case of emergency.

Yet somehow, Snotlout thought winning a fight was fully possible, "Ab-th-olutely."

Hicca turned with a frown, "What did you say?"

"I th-aid, Ab-th-olutely. As in, of cour-th." Snotlout was apparently unaware that he was slurring his words, or that his tongue was hanging out, and appeared to be swelling.

Hicca did feel concern for her cousin, but it was quickly over shadowed by her annoyance. "Oh, for the lover of- I told you not to eat those berries!"

"Why? Wha-th wrong?" Hicca gestured to puddle, silently asking Snotlout to look at himself. The dark haired male looked into the reflective water, his eyes going wide when he finally saw his inflated and flapping tongue. "Oh, no. I'm hideou-th!"

Hicca gave a tired sigh, hoping to Thor they found a way to get off this island as soon as possible. "Give me my Satchel. I may have something that can help with your tongue."

"Th-atchel?" Snotlout asked with a confused look.

Hicca's blood ran cold in that second. "No, no, no. Do not tell me you just left it there!" She stomped forward trying to control herself as her blood went from cold to almost boiling. "If someone finds that 'Th-atchel', we're done! It's got the Berk crest on it."

She tried to explain her concern, but Snotlout only rolled his eyes at her. "Relax. We're th-afe. Trust me, no-one-th gonna find it."

Snotlout strode forward passed his smaller cousin, relaxed as if all was right with the world. Hicca on the other hand was trying not to pull her hair out in frustration, even Toothless was keeping his distance to give her some breathing space.

Little did the two know that Snotlout had just left the satchel lying on the ground, out in the open for any Outcasts to wonder across and find.

Salvage scooped up small bag, chuckling darkly as he ran his fingers over the dark red insignia. "Oh, Alvin needs to see this."

Thankfully, at that same moment, Stoick's worry had gotten the best of him. He'd been keeping a keen eye on the sky for the past few hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of a dark dragon shaped silhouette on the horizon. But so far, all they saw was dark sea and grey sky.

Arvid was starting to get worried too, Hicca and Snotlout should have been right behind them. Either something must have delayed them, or stopped them returning entirely.

"They probably set down to wait out the storm," Arvid said aloud, trying to reassure Stoick and himself.

Suddenly, Fishlegs pointed to the sky, "I see something."

Contrasting against the grey sky, a bright orange and red flame was sailing through the air towards them. As it grew closer, the shape became clearer and clearer, soon becoming that of a Monstrous Nightmare.

"It's Hookfang!"

The dragon landed heavily on the ground, roaring loudly as his flames lingers across his scales, clearly agitated. Stoick approached slowly, following the instructions Hicca had given him so many months ago. He stopped and raised his open hand towards Hookfang, giving the dragon time to calm down and rest his snout to the chief's hand.

"If Hookfang is here, where Snotlout?" Fishlegs asked.

"And where are Hicca and Toothless?" Arvid added, his eyes fixed on the sky.

Stoick took a deep breath and turned to look at the other riders, "Get your dragons ready, we're heading out!"

/LINE BREAK/

Back on Outcast island, lights flashed over head. The storm rumbled through the sky, making the dark colours of Outcast island seem even more frightening. Especially for the dragons who were trapped there.

In the iron cage of the arena, a red and green Deadly Nadder was certainly feeling anxious. But that could have also been because of the Outcasts flanking it on all sides, trying to force the Nadder into one of the cages. The dragon whipped its tail back and forth to knock the Vikings away, it reared its head back, about to lunge at one of the men, but a sharp tug on its tail stopped that from happening.

Alvin had grasped the spiked tail with both hands, yanking the dragon back as he began turning in place. He swung the dragon round by its tail, round and around, the dragon unable to make a sound as the speed only increased.

"I like this one. He's got the right spirit!" Alvin suddenly let go, sending the dragon flying into a indent in the rock wall. The dragon collapsed against the wall, and the cage door was lowered to trap it inside.

As he looked around at the caged dragons, Alvin's mood soured. "Will I never get these dragons to do what I want!?"

"What you need is that book," One of the men pointed out.

But Alvin shook his head, "No... What we need, is Stoick's girl."

"Alvin!" Savage called out as he entered the arena. He tossed the satchel to the Outcast chief, who caught it easily in one hand.

Alvin turned the item in his large hands, his eyes and smile growing wide when he saw the dark red paint. Only chiefs and heirs to the tribes had their tribe's crest on their belongings, meaning this small bag must belong to the heiress herself. "The Berk crest. Is it my Birthday?" He asked with a deep laugh.

"Uh, I didn't get him anything. What does he like?" The Vikings muttered to each other.

"Stop gossiping, and bring me the owner of this bag!" The chief yelled at his men. If Hicca was on his island somewhere, he would find her.

One on the Viking stepped closer, "Do you want them alive?"

Alvin actually paused to think about it for a moment, but eventually he decided that the small girl was more useful alive. "Why not? For now."

All of the armoured men gathered their weapons and prepared for the hunt, before setting out and spread out to search the island for their hooligan guest.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Outcast village, if you could really call it that, stood a small hut. The walls were made of stone, with criss-crossing metal instead of solid walls in some places. It at first could look like a prison cell, but there was also a chimney poking out of the roof, small plumes of black smoke rising from it.

Hicca lay flat on the ground and looked through her spy glass, watching out for guard dragons above as she spied on the forge.

"There it is. We just need to wait until the blacksmith leaves, then I can sneak in and make a new rod." Hicca stood and brushed the dirt from her tunic, it would take a while to make a new rod for Toothless's tail, but it would be far quicker and stronger than fixing the broken one.

She turned to Snotlout, trying her best to hide her smile. The male stood holding a bowl to his face, his tongue hanging out into the liquid. "How long do i ha-b to lee-b my tongue in here? It's di-th-gusting! I saw Toothle-th spit in it."

"He did, indeed! But, Night Fury saliva has incredible hearing properties." It was mostly true. Hicca was also pleased she'd brought the wooden bowl along, it did have its uses.

Snotlout gave a groan, "Ugh, it tastes like yak pies."

Hicca sat next to Toothless and waited patiently for the blacksmith to leave, while Snotlout just passed back and forth complaining and muttering to himself. It was dangerous to stay in one spot for too long, but after a little while Hicca saw the smoke stop rising from the shop, and spotted a large man leave the building. Hicca stood and gestured for Toothless and Snotlout to follow her and slowly made her way down the steep hillside.

"Come on. We don't know how long the blacksmith is going to be gone for."

Snotlout threw the bowl away and felt around the inside of his mouth with his now deflated tongue, either Night Fury saliva really did have healing powers. Or more likely, his tongue had just gone back to normal on its own.

"Betty Boda bought a bit of bitter butter. And she said, 'This butter's bitter'. If I bought a bit of bitter butter, it would-"

Hicca turned with a near growl in her voice, "What... are... you... doing?" She didn't think it was possible for Snotlout to get more annoying, but apparently the only thing worse than his never ending talking, was his never ending tongue twisters.

"Enjoying my tongue again," Snotlout smiled, happy that his speech was no longer punctuated with 'th' sounds.

Hicca just shook her head and kept marching forward, she really hoped they could get out of her soon.

Suddenly, a Monstrous Nightmare emerged from the rocks in front of them, it sniffed the air and gave a hiss.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout yelled. Not realising that the dragon in front of him, wasn't his own. The dark surroundings and lighting, made it hard to see the purple mixed in with the reds of the dragon's scales. The dragon turned and roared at the Viking male, spitting out a stream of fire.

The fire knocked Snotlout back into the stone wall, "Okay, not Hookfang."

"It's a wild Monstrous Nightmare!" Hicca backed away as Toothless jumped in front of her.

The two dragons glared at each other, growling and hissing fiercely. The nightmare tried to circle around the Night Fury, but Toothless kept himself firmly between the dragon and his rider. Just as the two dragons started to try and bite each other, Hicca stepped in between them.

"Toothless, stop!" Hicca jumped in and placed a hand on the Night Fury's snout to calm him. Keeping one hand on Toothless, Hicca slowly turned and held out her other hand towards the Nightmare. The dragon breathed heavily against her palm still growling lightly, still not trusting her until she closed her eyes and turned her head away.

But just as the dragon was calming down and Hicca placed her hand on the dragon's snout, an arrow suddenly whizzed past, almost scrapping the scales on the Nightmares nose.

"There they are!" A voice yelled out, as a group of Outcast Vikings ran towards them with spears and swords drawn.

"Run!" Hicca turned and started racing back up the hill, her new Nightmare friend, spitting fire at the Outcasts running towards them. Unfortunately the sharp spears being thrown at it, soon scared away the large dragon.

Hicca ran down the other side of the hill into the dried up river bed, soon followed but Toothless and Snotlout. Once Toothless was running alongside her, Hicca pointed up the side of the rock wall, "Circle back around, bud!"

Toothless gave a grunt and did as he was asked, quickly scaling the wall with his sharp claws. Hicca and Snotlout quickly dusked behind a pile of large rocks, just as the Outcast rounded the corner. Toothless poked his head over the edge, quickly being spotted by the Vikings.

"There they go, that way!" The lead Outcast yelled. As Toothless ran, the Vikings scaled the rock wall and gave chase, leaving Hicca and Snotlout behind in the rocks.

As the sound of yelling grew further away, Hicca and Snotlout emerged from their hiding spot. They peeked out over the edge of the wall, just in time to see Toothless leading the Outcasts away, no doubt leading them in one great big circle.

"Good, they're gone. Alright, we'll just wait here until Toothless comes back, then head to the blacksmith shop."

But Snotlout had had enough of waiting. "No way! I'm not going anywhere near that place. You almost got us caught!"

Hicca was left shocked silent for a moment as Snotlout climbed down from the ledge. " _I_ almost got-?" She jumped down from the ledge and ran in front of Snotlout, the anger clear on her face as she jabbed her finger into his chest. "The only reason the Outcasts know we're here is because _you_ lost my satchel with the Berk crest on it!"

"Well, who brought the satchel with the Berk crest on it to Outcast Island?"

"I had no idea we were going to Outcast Island!"

"So _you're_ not prepared, and _I_ get blamed?"

Hicca felt like her head might explode any second now. "Fine! If you don't like my ideas, please let me hear one of yours."

As Hicca had expected, Snotlout remained silent. Unless the others came to rescue them, her idea was the only one that would work. Not that her cousin would ever admit it though.

"Precisely as I suspected!" Hicca said after more silence from Snotlout. Thankfully, Toothless returned then, having given the Outcasts the slip. Hicca walked over to stroke his jaw, "There you go. Good job, bud. At least _someone_ is pulling their weight around here."

Snotlout caught Hicca glaring at him over her shoulder, "Oh, you are so _smug_!"

"Me!?" Hicca's fist clenched tightly, how could all of her efforts to try and keep them alive, possibly come across as smug!?

"Hicca's so smart! Hicca's so brave! She killed the Red Death! He trained the dragons! She's got the metal leg!" Snotlout ranted on and on, all the thing he'd heard people say about her cousin. It used to be that between the two of them, he was the more celebrated one, his numerous triumphs in the Thorfest games being a major part in that. But now, the tables had truly turned.

"Metal leg!?" Hicca halted his ranting. " _That's_ what's bothering you? _That's_ where you're going with this?"

"No!" Snotlout shouted in frustration. "It's everything the leg is attached to!"

There was a short moment of silence between them, all of the emotions that had risen to the surface settled there for a moment, before slowly returning to normal.

Hicca took a deep breath, whatever jealousy issues her cousin had, he needed to put them aside for now. Otherwise they had no hope of working together, "Okay. Well, deal with it, Snotlout. Because, right now, I am literally all you've got!"

"Oh, you think I need you? I _don't_ need you!"

"Well, I certainly don't need you!" With that, Snotlout turned and walked away. "Go!" Hicca yelled after him, after calming down slight she turned back to Snotlout. Toothless threw her an unsure look, they both knew that splitting up was a bad idea.

But it was Snotlout, he'd been fine.

Right?

/LINE BREAK/

Meanwhile ,the Dragon riders from Berk had started their long flight back to find the missing teens.

Stoick had joined them atop his Thunderdrum, Thornado, while Gobber was riding Hookfang in Snotlout's place. The Stocker dragon was leading the group, clearly agitated and worried for his rider, his scales still ablaze because of his ill-temper. Thankfully Gobber was protected my his metal plated clothing, eventually he was able to calm the dragon enough so that he wasn't in risk of being roasted alive.

"Easy there! That's it, dragon. Follow your master's sent."

"It's Snotlout," Arvid pointed out. "How hard can that be?"

Just then, Hookfang's head suddenly jarred, his wing beats getting faster. "Hang on, I think the dragon's got a sniff," Gobber yelled to the other's. The other dragons also increased their speed in order to keep up with the racing Nightmare.

Eventually, they reached the spot when Hicca had separated from the team to go after Snotlout. The teens all kept their eyes open for Hicca and Snotlout, or at least some kind of sign that could tell them where they had disappeared to.

"You guys need to see this," Fishlegs called to the others, catching their attention.

In the dark waters below, a speck of white on red caught Arvid's eye. Arvid pushed Stormfly forward to dive down toward the water, her talons just skimming the surface. "Okay, Stormfly, tail flip!" Stormfly whipped her tail forward just as they flew over the red and white item. The soggy material was tossed into the air and Arvid caught it in his arms, but as he unfurled it, his eyes went wide.

"It's Toothless' tail," Arvid muttered, looking down at the torn fabric, the white Viking scull Hicca had drawn was still intact.

Meatlug flew alongside Stormfly, allowing Fishlegs to see what was in the other blonds hands. "Oh, no. Toothless lost his tail. If Toothless doesn't have a tail, he can't fly. If he can't fly, they can't fly. If they can't fly-"

"Enough!" Stoick cut off Fishlegs' panicking, he didn't like thinking of his daughter in danger, but given the circumstances... "They're probably stranded at sea. We fly close to the water."

The teens followed their order, swooping low to the water while still following Hookfang on the scent of his rider. All of them keeping an eye out for the missing teens and dragon, while at the same time hoping they didn't spot them in the dark water.

/LINE BREAK/

Hicca and Toothless had circled back to Outcast forge, thankful to see that the large man was still gone. But since they didn't know how much time they had left, they had to work quickly.

The small female was easily able to slip through the iron bars that made up the walls of the blacksmith's, not having to bother with the locked door. But Toothless was far too big to get inside, Hicca turned as he gave a low whimper. "Back there, bud," She pointed round to the side of the building. "Stay hidden."

Toothless gurgled and did as he was asked, standing guard outside the building as Hicca got to work inside. She quickly located a barrel of broken weapons, pushing the large items aside and sticking her hand deep inside. Right at the bottom of the barrel, she found a thin piece of metal, possible the latch for a door, it would do nicely.

But as Hicca got to work on the metal, Toothless was searching around the outside of the building, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He soon found the culprit of his uneasy feeling when a large glob of lava landed just in front of him. Toothless looked up just in time to see a large blue Gronckle on the roof of the forge, whether it was an actual guard dragon on just a wild one, Toothless didn't really get the chance to wonder.

The Gronckle lunged down, knocking Toothless down and over the edge, back into a deeper part of the dried up river, possibly a lake bed. The Dragon's tussled for a short while until Toothless was finally able to knock the other dragon aside, spreading his wings out to make himself bigger and roaring threateningly.

But Hicca didn't hear the fighting or roaring below, she was too busy hammering the metal against the anvil, stretching and straitening it little by little until it was perfect. But just as she was about to hammer in the final notch at the end, the hammer was ripped from her small hand.

"And just what are we making, Hicca?" Savage leaned in close with a wicked grin, forcing Hicca to back up against the anvil.

Hicca thought quickly, she didn't exactly have an escape plan ready. "Uh... A gift... for Alvin! To thank him for his hospitality."

"You can thank him in person. Grab her!" The other two Outcasts standing behind Savage lunged forward, each gripping one of her arms tightly and using them to lift the small girl off the ground. Hicca, knowing she couldn't escape, quickly dropped the metal rod and kicked it aside. Hopefully she'd have a chance to come back for it later.

They dragged Hicca out of the forge, her legs dangling off the ground as she kicked out feebly. AS they stepped outside, Hicca quickly looked around, hoping to spot Toothless. But in the spot where he should have been standing, was instead a puddle of lava.

She wasn't given much time to think about it, as the Outcasts kept pulling on her arms, the forge growing further and further away.

Down in the ravine, Toothless was still trying to fight off the attacking Gronckle. He dodges lava blasts again and again, jumping from the floor to the wall and jumping down again, until finally the Gronckle ran out of shots. Toothless took his chance and fired his own blast, knocking the Gronckle back a good distance, he fired again until the boulder dragon had cleared the dried up lake bed.

Toothless finally out of danger, he quickly ran back over to the rock wall he'd fallen down, trying to climb up it and back to the forge. But he couldn't get enough grip on the steep wall, he tried again, but he just fell back down to the solid ground. He tried roaring up to alert Hicca, but he got no response.

Toothless had to think of something, if Hicca couldn't hear him, then there might be something wrong. Just then, the wind changed, and a familiar sent floated past his nostrils. If Hicca was in trouble, then he was going to need help. And there was only one other person he could trust on this island.

He found Snotlout at the beach, soaking wet and frowning at a pile of floating logs in the water. Apparently the male Viking had tried and failed to build a raft to get off the island.

"Good thing she wasn't around to see that," Snotlout muttered to himself as he collapsed back on to the sand. A sudden puff of hot breath on his face made him open his eyes, he jumped at the sight of a dragon's snout so close to His face, but then his expression changed to slight annoyance when recognised the dark midnight scales.

"Toothless?" Snotlout sat up and looked around, "Wherever you are, Hiccup, I still _don't_ need you!" But Hicca didn't show herself, instead Toothless ran ahead of Snotlout and ran around in a circle at the mouth of the ravine. Snotlout frowned and tried calling for his cousin again, but again, she didn't show.

Toothless ran back over to him and nudged him from behind, trying to push him forwards in the direction he'd just come from. Finally, it clicked together in Snotlout's head. "Oh, I get it, Hicca need my help!"

Snotlout raced after Toothless without a second thought. It was true he found Hicca annoying at times, always bossing people around and acting so high and mighty. But that being said... She was the leader, and she was family. If she was in trouble or Alvin had captured her, then it was up to him to save her.

Eventually, the two were able to circle around to get back up the rock hills to the Outcast forge. Instead of sneaking in like Hicca had done, Snotlout kicked open the door and stepped inside, looking around for any sign of Hicca. But the forge was empty and quiet.

Snotlout turned back to glare at Toothless, "Stupid dragon, she'd not even here." But just as he took another step, his foot bumped into something, a small clank sound reaching his ears. He looked now and spotted a thin metal rod at his feet, "Hmm, this looks familiar."

Snotlout bent down to pick up the piece of metal, once they found Hicca, he should give this back to her. But just as he turned to call out for Toothless, he let out a scream, narrowly dodging the axe being swung at his head. The blacksmith had returned.

Toothless heard the male Viking scream and rushed back to help, but the Outcast had shut the metal bar door behind him, leaving Toothless suck outside once again. Snotlout dodged left and right, while the blacksmith kept swinging his axe down on the boys head. The dark haired quickly jumped behind the Outcast swinging the only weapon he had to hand, Hicca's metal connecting rod.

Even with the limited time she's had, Hicca had done a great job on the new connector. The metal was strong and sharp, despite its small size, the Outcast still winced as the rod connected with his back. Snotlout took a step back and let the Outcast turn round to face him, then he deliver a solid kick to the stomach. The blacksmith tumbled back into one of the pillars, a shield falling down and hitting him on the head.

Snotlout turned triumphantly, but Toothless roared back at him. The Outcast stood and took the moment of surprise, he picked up the closest weapon he could find and swung at Snotlout again. This time the hammer wielding Viking knocked the metal rod from teens hand, sending it flying to the ground. Snotlout, now weapon-less, backed up to put some distance between him and the Outcast.

But he stumbled back over a small bucket, falling onto his back as the Outcast loomed over him. His eyes flicked to the side, and spotted the metal rod close to where Toothless was still locked outside, he looked up at the dragon gave a small nod. The Outcast swung the hammer down on him, but Snotlout was quickly able to roll away.

He jumped back onto his feet, while Toothless fired a small plasma blast, hitting the metal rod and sending it flying towards Snotlout. The male Viking swung the rod down on the Outcast back twice more before the blacksmith was forced to let go of his heavy hammer, Snotlout gave him another hard kick in the back. The large man was sent flailing into Toothless, who head-butted him through the bars of the wall.

The Outcast gave a grunt as he was thrown across the room, he hit another wooden pillar and collapsed to the ground.

Snotlout smirked a strode up to Toothless, "You know what, Toothless? We make a pretty good team." With the Outcast finally out cold, Snotlout was finally able to leave the forge.

"I might not give you back," He commented as he and Toothless reunited, but the dragon growled in response. "Kidding."

Toothless relaxed instantly, but then his ears suddenly perked up. He turned and looked up at the large rocky cliffs, Snotlout following his line of sight, the human having to squint to see the same distance as the dragon.

Near the top of the cliffs, where the dark terrain almost disappeared into the grey sky, the male teen and the Night Fury spotted some movement. There were three large figures and one small figure trudging up the slope, obviously there were no children on this island, so it had to be Hicca being captured by the Outcasts.

"Let's get 'em, Toothless!" Snotlout jumped onto the Night Fury's back. Toothless shifted a bit, and then took off into a run. He still couldn't fly, but he was just as quick on land as he was in the air. Snotlout held on tightly as Toothless leapt forward into a gallop, having to take the long way around was going to take a while, but they couldn't risk being seen. They would be no use to Hicca if they all got captured.

Further up the cliffs, Hicca was being lead by Savage up the winding path, whilst the other two Outcasts brought up the rear, making sure she didn't escape. Eventually Savage turned to face her, wanting to interrogate her before they got to Alvin. "Stoick wouldn't have sent you here alone. Where's the rest of your party?"

"Oh, no, no, no. It's me, just me," Hicca smiled innocently. "Taking a little vacation, you know. I heard Outcast Island is beautiful this time of year."

But Savage wasn't buying her act, "Oh, Alvin will get it out of you. In fact..." He leaned in closer, "He'll enjoy it. But trust me, you won't." Hicca swallowed the nervous lump in her throat, she really didn't like the way that sounded.

Savage shouted at his men, and the Outcasts behind Hicca shoved her forward. All the while, Alvin himself was watching from above. He gave a dark chuckle when he spotted the small girl being escorted by his men, yelling at his men to prepare the dragons, their new trainer had arrived!

Thankfully, Snotlout and Toothless were getting into position. Just above where Hicca was being escorted by her captors, the two put their plan into action. The first thing they had to do, was stop them from progressing any further up the mountain.

Snotlout signalled to Toothless to get ready, the dragon grumbled in return. Once they were ready, he jammed the metal rod under unstable rocks. The smaller pebbles slipped out, and in turn let the larger rocks fall, soon followed by the large boulders.

The rumbling sound was the only warning the Outcasts had before the rocks blocked their path. One of the Outcasts grabbed Hicca's arm to pull her back, it was their job to deliver Hicca alive, not flat as a pancake. With their main path way blocked, the Outcasts started running in the opposite direction.

But Toothless and Snotlout were ready. "Toothless, now!"

The Night Fury fired a blast at the opposite rock wall, causing another avalanche to block the Outcast's escape route, they now had no choice but to huddle back to protect themselves.

Just as Hicca was dragged away again, she looked up and spotted the ebony dragon, giving a small smirk before turning back to the action. Alvin watched from above, clearly less than pleased with the course of events. He let out a deep growl, "As usual, I can rely on no one but myself."

He took off into a run, determined to stop all this messing around. He skid down the side of the rocky mountain, and ran down the worn wooden steps, he was not about to let that dragon trainer get away again.

As the Outcasts ran around trying to not to get hit, Toothless fired plasma blasts again and again, all the while trying not to hit Hicca. But Hicca was thrown into the fire when another of the Outcasts grabbed her arm, Toothless was forced to stop firing in case he hit her by mistake. At that point Snotlout jumped into the fray again, he skid down the rock wall and jumped onto one of the Outcasts, kicking him in the stomach and knocking him out.

He faced forward and prepared to fight Savage and the other Viking beside him. Savage swung a huge bone club, whilst the other swung his spear in a downwards arc, thankfully Snotlout managed to block them using the metal rod once more.

Savage rushed forward, but the smaller male dodged to the side and pushed the Outcast forward. The other Viking jabbed his spear forward, almost slicing Snotlout's stomach if he hadn't jumped to the side. The spear then whizzed over his head and scrapped along the rock wall, small sparks flying as the metal scratched against the stone.

Snotlout was forced back against the stone wall, the Outcast jabbing with his spear again and again, not giving the dark haired male the chance to fight back. The Hooligan was eventually saved when Toothless rushed forward and head-butted the Viking, sending him flying to the other side of the canyon. But Snotlout didn't get the chance to relax.

Across the ravine, Snotlout spotted Hicca. She was being held tightly by the remaining Outcast Viking, trying to stomp on his feet, but he just lifted her off the ground.

"Hicca!" He yelled and hurled the metal rod forward, hitting her captive in the head and clanking off his helmet. Hicca was dropped to the ground and quickly spun on her heals, she grabbed the rod as it fell back to the ground, finally having a weapon in her hands. She loomed over the Outcast who had grabbed her and finally worked out some anger, smacking the Viking across the face with the connecting rod.

Finally things started to calm down, Hicca turned to Toothless with a large smile as the dragon gurgled happily. "Good to see you too, bud! Thank you." Hicca was about to thank her cousin, but her eyes flickered to movement just over Snotlout's shoulder. "Snotlout!"

Toothless turned just in time to fire another plasma blast, thankfully Snotlout ducked just in time. The blast sailed over his head and hit Savage in the chest, sending him tumbling back into a pile of rocks. Savage slowly stood and raised his bone club ready to fight, but then he had a quick rethink.

In front of him stood a growling Night Fury, a tough Viking teen, and the Dragon Conqueror. Savage realised he might just be out of his depth.

"You better run!" Snotlout gave him a short warning before he ran forward, letting out a loud laugh as he chased Savage down the ravine.

Hicca just gave a small sigh and shook her head, she would just let Snotlout do his thing for now, he did rescue her after all. Hicca turned back to Toothless and finally got to work reattaching the connecting rod. It was a little banged up after Snotlout using it as a club, but hopefully it would last until they got back to Berk.

Meanwhile, Savage tried to escape by climbing the steep rock wall, but Snotlout was still right on his heels. Just as Snotlout was about to reach the top, a hand was held out for him to take. The Hooligan was about to take it, but then he stopped to look at who the owner of said hand was.

"Need some help?" Alvin grinned as he looked down at the boy. Snotlout immediately pulled his hand back, but the sudden movement pulled him off balance. The rocks fell away under his remaining hand, leaving him with nothing to hold onto. Snotlout let out a scream as he fell back down into the ravine.

Thankfully, instead of hitting solid ground, Snotlout was pulled back into the air by two large paws. Hicca steered Toothless through the air, dodging past all of the wooden bridges connecting the rocky cliffs and mountains, all the while the Night Fury held Snotlout firmly in his talons.

Alvin hurled his axe into the air, hoping to strike them down, but the weapon only struck air.

"Shoot them down! Fire!" Alvin yelled to his men. Arrows flew from the crossbows, all the while Toothless spun and arced through the air to dodge them. He spun in the air and fired one last blast into the mountain side, sending a rain of rocks down onto the Outcast. Toothless swung his claws forward and threw Snotlout into the air, the boy spun in the air until eventually landing behind Hicca on Toothless's saddler.

The dark haired male clung to Hicca tightly as Toothless turned and beat his wings harder, eventually flying out of range of the arrows and away from the island.

Alvin growled to himself, "How does that ninety pound girl repeatedly defeat an entire army of bloodthirsty savages?" He glared up at the midnight dragon, getting smaller and smaller amongst the grey clouds. "She'll be back, if I have to bring her here myself. She'll be back."

Hicca looked back at Outcast island, a large smile forming as she watched the dark island grow small and smaller. "Woo-hoo! Do you realize what we just did?"

"We totally kicked butt, duh!" Snotlout gave a loud laugh.

Hicca turned to face him, her long hair flowing behind her, "Yeah, and we kicked butt _together_!" She paused for a moment and gave a small sigh, "Look... Snotlout, I'm-"

"Hungry, right?" Snotlout cut her off.

She gave a small chuckle, "Yeah, exactly."

"Me too."

In a way, they both said what they wanted to, even though the words were never spoken aloud.

Even after all this, Snotlout would still find Hicca annoying and bossy at times, while she will still find him childish. But they're a team, and that's just what team are like.

 _Sometimes the last person you want to rely on is the one you end up being stuck with, and being stuck with Snotlout was no picnic. But who knew how much I could rely on him?_

End of episode 16.

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 **Chapter 16 finally done :) I quite like this episode, Hicca and Snotlout have very different personalities, and it's interesting to see them both separately and as they interact with each other. Hopefully we'll see more of this in future episodes especially in the RTTE series.**

 **Let me know what you think, and I'll see you all next time :)**


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